South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from jail on Saturday after a court revoked his arrest, allowing him to stand trial for rebellion without being physically detained.
Yoon, who was arrested in January on insurrection charges for attempting to subvert civilian rule on December 3, walked out of the detention centre smiling and bowing deeply to a cheering crowd.
In a statement released through his lawyers, he expressed gratitude to his supporters. “I bow my head in gratitude to the people of this nation,” he said, as reported by AFP.
On Friday, the Seoul central district court cancelled his arrest warrant, ruling that his detention had exceeded the legal period before prosecutors indicted him. The court stated, “It is reasonable to conclude that the indictment was filed after the defendant’s detention period had expired,” according to documents cited by AFP.
To ensure clarity and eliminate any doubts over the legality of the investigation, the court deemed it appropriate to cancel his detention.
Prosecutors, however, criticised the ruling, calling it “unjust”, but ultimately decided not to appeal. They said they would now focus on presenting their case before the trial court.
“Given the Constitutional Court‘s ruling and related considerations, the Prosecutor General has instructed the team to actively present its arguments before the trial court instead,” they stated.
Yoon was taken into custody on January 15 after resisting arrest for two weeks. His martial law declaration, which briefly suspended civilian rule and saw military forces deployed to the National Assembly, was overturned within hours by lawmakers, who later impeached him on December 14.
He now faces a Constitutional Court decision on whether to be formally removed from office. If the court upholds the impeachment, South Korea will be required to hold a new presidential election within 60 days.
Opposition leaders strongly condemned Yoon’s release. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, vowed at a rally that they would “fight until the insurrection is over.” The party also accused prosecutors of acting as “henchmen” for Yoon, as reported by AP.
Yoon’s legal team, meanwhile, hailed his release as a victory for the rule of law. In a statement, they said, “The president’s release signifies the restoration of the rule of law.”
Yoon, a former prosecutor, has defended his declaration of martial law, arguing it was necessary to counter what he called “legislative dictatorship” by the opposition. His impeachment trial has focused on whether he violated constitutional provisions, as martial law is reserved for national emergencies or wartime scenarios.
