Woman detained for spitting on, cursing at police during Jamsil ballot center protest

A woman in her 40s has been detained after spitting on and cursing at a police officer during a protest to blockade a ballot-counting center in Jamsil.

Judge Seo Beom-jun, the warrant-duty presiding judge at the Seoul Eastern District Court, issued an arrest warrant Thursday for the woman, identified only by her surname Kim, on charges of obstructing a public official in the performance of duties. The judge cited "a risk of flight and the likelihood of reoffending."

Kim emerged from her detention hearing at around 3:44 p.m. Thursday and told reporters she had been "assaulted and choked" by police, adding, "Everything about this is unjust."

Kim was arrested Monday morning after asking a police officer managing the protest site for his name, then spitting on him and hurling insults. The incident took place in front of gates 1 through 3 of the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

She was also reported to have filmed officers on her mobile phone, saying she wanted to "verify they were Korean police," and directed abusive language at their families.

Police said they are reviewing footage and other evidence from before and after the arrest to establish the precise facts of the incident, and will decide afterward whether to launch an internal investigation.