Who is controversial far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon?
Far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon has been pointed out as the possible mastermind behind the mob attack on Seoul Western District Court on Jan. 19 following the court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Out of the 99 individuals apprehended by the police over the attack, two of them were described as a 'special missionary' of Jeon's Sarang Jeil Church, further adding to the controversy swirling around Jeon.
In response to the allegations, Jeon held a press conference on Wednesday, where he claimed he 'had nothing to do with the violence" and those who were rallying in front of the court at the time inciting violence.
'I've held rallies at Gwanghwamun for the past seven years and not a single violent incident occurred once,' said Jeon during Wednesday's press conference. 'I've consistently emphasized not to clash with the police or commit violence during rallies in the past and on the day of the attack when I was delivering my speech. I wasn't even present at Seoul Western District Court when the attack occurred.'
Jeon, a far-right pastor who has actively led pro-Yoon protests and has been one of the most vocal advocates of the suspended president since the Dec. 3 martial law debacle.
He has consistently been involved in several controversies for his far-right political views and comments made related to Christianity, claiming them to be revelations of God.
These comments include: 'South Korea will perish. South Korea will disappear from the global community when the Moon Jae-in administration ends;' 'South Korea will center around Jeon Kwang-hoon for the next 10 years;' and 'There will remain nothing in 100 years except for Jeon Kwang-hoon's words.'
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeon was criticized for violating various social distancing measures in place at the time, as he went ahead and conducted in-person worship services and large-scale rallies. Jeon, who once served as president of the Christian Council of Korea, was expelled from the evangelical alliance based on 15 complaints against his speeches and behavior and was labeled a pseudo-religious figure by the CCK's committee on pseudo-religions.
Jeon also drew further controversy following Yoon's martial law decree on Dec. 4, as he stated that Yoon's declaration of martial law was 'a gift from God to the Korean church.'
On Thursday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea announced that it has reported Jeon to the police under allegations of 'propagating unconstitutional and illegal acts of insurrection and inciting the public to commit disorder.' During Thursday's press conference, the party stated that Jeon 'consistently justified Yoon's insurrectionary acts' and 'advocated for the martial law decree with false statements.'
Meanwhile, the police investigating the mob violence at Seoul Western District Court have booked Jeon as a suspect, though it is unclear as to whether Jeon had been summoned yet for questioning.
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