Multiple journalists among 83 injured in unprecedented attack on court

Nine local journalists' groups on Friday condemned Sunday's violent attack on the Seoul Western District Court by supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, during which several members of the press were physically assaulted by the mob and their equipment damaged or stolen by them.
In a joint press conference held by nine groups, including the Journalists Association of Korea, the journalists urged strict punishment of those who committed what they called "shocking, unprecedented acts."
"The mob hurled terrifying verbal abuse at the reporters, saying "Stomp on this (expletive),' 'It's ok to kill them, we should kill them'... They also shoved over the reporters, punched them in the face with their fists numerous times and stomped on them," the group said in a press conference held in front of the Seoul Western District Court, which the pro-Yoon protesters had broken into and heavily damaged early Sunday morning.
Early Sunday before dawn, the court approved a new warrant for Yoon's arrest, authorizing authorities to keep him in custody for the ongoing criminal investigation. The South Korean leader is alleged to have led an insurrection and committed abuse of power, including allegedly illegal orders to military and police officials during his failed Dec. 3 imposition of martial law.
On coattails of the court issuing the warrant, hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters attacked the court, assaulting police officers, members of the press and even an unconfirmed number of passersby.
Police on Monday sought the formal arrest of 66 of the total 90 suspects taken into custody on-site during the violent protests and mob attack on the court between Saturday and Sunday.
Local media outlets have reported videos of the attackers assaulting several members of the press. They were caught on camera trying to grab camera equipment from the press, and brutally beating them while shouting profanities.
As of Monday, 42 police officers and 41 civilians have been injured. Most of the civilian victims -- numbers unconfirmed -- were journalists and bystanders who were assaulted by the court attackers.
Attackers searched building for judge who issued Yoon’s arrest warrant
The preliminary investigation by the Seoul Western District Court estimates that Sunday's attack inflicted between 600 to 700 million won ($414,300-$483,300) worth of damage to the court's facilities, according to a report submitted to Rep. Lee Hae-sik of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
No official of the court sustained physical injuries, but it was reported that they are suffering from trauma due to the violent attack.
After the court attackers climbed over the building's security fencing, some 10 court officials set up a barricade with vending machines on the first floor at around 3:20 a.m. When the barricade was breached, they fled to the rooftop, along with over a dozen that were already seeking refuge there.
Chun Dae-yup, the minister of the National Court Administration, told the National Assembly on Monday that Yoon's supporters seemed to be actively trying to find the judge that issued the warrant. "We found that (the protestors) went up to the seventh floor of the building, and the offices of the judges who issue warrants were the only ones that were deliberately damaged and broken into," he said.
But the office of Justice Cha Eun-kyung, a senior judge who issued the warrant for Yoon's arrest, located on the ninth floor, avoided damage. Chun said that in his understanding, the assailants only went up to the seventh floor.