Seoul: Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from detention Saturday following a court ruling, 52 days after he was detained on charges of inciting an insurrection over his failed bid to impose martial law.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon was freed from the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, one day after the Seoul Central District Court accepted his request to cancel his arrest. "I appreciate the court's courage and determination in correcting the illegality," Yoon said in a statement distributed by his legal team, as he left the detention center to the cheers of supporters and ruling People Power Party lawmakers.
Yoon's release was confirmed shortly after Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung accepted the court's ruling. This development means Yoon will be able to stand trial without being physically detained.
The court's decision was influenced by the timing of Yoon's indictment. On Friday, the court stated it approved Yoon's request after determining that his January 26 indictment on insurrection charges, which extended his detention, had occurred hours after the initial detention period had expired. The 10-day initial detention period excluded the time taken to send documents to a court for a review of whether to issue an arrest warrant. This pushed back the deadline of Yoon's detention to around 9 a.m. on January 26, while the prosecution indicted him shortly before 7 p.m. that day.