Impeached South Korean President Yoon Released as Court Voids Arrest
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was freed on Saturday after a court voided his arrest on procedural grounds, though he remains under investigation for declaring martial law.
Yoon, who was detained in January on insurrection charges over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, walked out of the detention centre smiling and bowed before a small crowd of cheering supporters.
“I bow my head in gratitude to the people of this nation,” Yoon said in a statement through his lawyers.
A court had overturned his arrest warrant a day earlier on legal and technical grounds, a decision prosecutors condemned as “unjust.”
However, they waived their right to appeal, stating they would instead focus on trial proceedings.
Yoon also awaits a Constitutional Court ruling on whether to uphold his impeachment and formally remove him from office.
If he is ousted, South Korea must hold a fresh presidential election within 60 days.
Prosecutors emphasised that Yoon’s release on procedural grounds would not affect his impeachment trial, which centres on whether his martial law declaration violated the constitution.
“The president’s release signifies the restoration of the rule of law,” his legal team said, while opposition critics called his reaction “shameless” and demanded his swift removal from office.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, triggered political turmoil in December by briefly suspending civilian rule and deploying soldiers to parliament.
Lawmakers rejected his martial law decree within hours and voted to impeach him.
He resisted arrest for two weeks before being taken into custody on January 15.
His lawyers argue that he imposed martial law to warn against what he called a “legislative dictatorship” by the opposition.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
