'Arrest Warrant for Main Suspect in Hyatt Hotel Disturbance Instigation Denied Again'

The arrest warrant requested by the prosecution for the main culprit who instigated the violent gang 'Sunoa-pa' members to cause a disturbance at a hotel was rejected again.

On the 23rd, Judge Yoon Jae-nam, in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest suspect hearing (warrant review) for Mr. Yoon and dismissed the prosecution's request.

Judge Yoon stated, "It is acknowledged that the suspect disputes the charges," but added, "Even considering the additionally collected and submitted evidence, it is difficult to see a high risk that the suspect would destroy evidence or flee."

Mr. Yoon is accused of ordering Sunoa-pa gang members to cause a disturbance at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in October 2020.

The gang members, acting under Mr. Yoon's orders, stayed at the hotel for three nights and four days, threatening staff and guests. It was reported that they caused a commotion demanding 6 billion won from Bae Sang-yoon, chairman of KH Group, the hotel's owner at the time.

Mr. Yoon is known as an investor who had disputes with KH Group during the past acquisition process of the hotel.

The prosecution suspects that he committed the crime to receive compensation for damages.

Previously, the prosecution requested warrants for Mr. Yoon and nine others, including Sunoa-pa gang members, but on the 13th of this month, the court issued warrants only for seven gang members and dismissed the warrant request for Mr. Yoon.

Sunoa-pa is known as one of the top 10 violent gangs in South Korea, formed in the 1980s in Mokpo, Jeonnam, and moved its base of operations to Seoul in the mid-2000s, expanding its influence nationwide.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.