S. Korea's impeached President Yoon released from detention after court ruling
The suspended president's lawyers had filed a request to cancel his arrest last month, arguing his detention was unlawful because the prosecution waited too long to indict him.
Protesters take part in a rally calling for the ouster of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on December 21, 2024. Picture: Jung Yeon-je/AFP
SEOUL - A South Korean court cancelled the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, allowing his release.
The suspended president's lawyers had filed a request to cancel his arrest last month, arguing his detention was unlawful because the prosecution waited too long to indict him.
"It is reasonable to conclude that the indictment was filed after the defendant's detention period had expired," said a document from the Seoul Central District Court.
"To ensure procedural clarity and eliminate any doubts regarding the legality of the investigative process, it would be appropriate to issue a decision to cancel the detention," the court added.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, plunged democratic South Korea into turmoil in December by briefly suspending civilian rule and sending soldiers into parliament.
He has been charged with insurrection for his martial law declaration, which lawmakers voted down within hours before impeaching him.
The 64-year-old resisted arrest for two weeks in a tense stand-off between his security team and investigators at his official residence in Seoul, but was finally taken into custody on January 15.
He also faces an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, which will determine whether his removal from office is upheld.