Impeached S. Korean President Yoon released from detention

Yonhap, Philippine News Agency

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. (File Photo: 윤석열/Facebook)

SEOUL – Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from prison on Saturday, following a court ruling that allowed him to stand impeachment and criminal trials without detention over his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.

Waving to his supporters, Yoon walked out of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, after spending 52 days in custody on charges of inciting an insurrection.

His release followed Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung’s decision not to appeal the court’s ruling.

Within 30 minutes, Yoon arrived at his official residence in central Seoul.

“I appreciate the court’s courage and determination in correcting the illegality,” Yoon said in a statement.

With his release, he will now stand trial without physical detention.

On Friday, the court said it approved Yoon’s request after determining that his Jan. 26 indictment on insurrection charges, which allowed his detention to be extended, had come hours after the initial detention period had already expired.

The People Power Party welcomed the decision, urging the Constitutional Court to consider the ruling in its impeachment deliberations.

“It is a just decision, and we hope it corrects the distorted rule of law,” said party spokesperson Shin Dong-wook.

However, the opposition Democratic Party criticized the prosecution, warning that Yoon’s release deepens the nation’s political crisis. They called on the Constitutional Court to formally impeach Yoon in its upcoming decision. (Yonhap)