In South Korea The Conservative President Disted Yoon Suk Yeol was released from prison on Saturday, a day after a Seoul court canceled his arrest to allow him to undergo his trial for rebellion without being held.
After leaving a detention center near SeoulYoon signaled, hugged his fists and bowed deeply against his supporters who shouted his name and waved the South Korean and American flags. Yoon went up in a black van was heading for his presidential residence in Seoul.
In a press release distributed by his lawyers, Yoon said that he “appreciates the courage and decision of the Central District Court of Seoul to correct illegality”, in an apparent reference to legal disputes concerning his arrest. He said that he also thanks his supporters and asked those who were on hunger strike against his dismissal to put an end to it.
Kim Do-Hun / Yonhap via AP
Yoon was arrested and charged by prosecutors in January during his December 3 Martial law decree who plunged the country into Huge political troubles. The National Liberal Assembly controlled by the opposition voted separately to indict him, leading to his suspension of his functions.
The Constitutional Court deliberated to reject or officially restore Yoon. If the court confirms its dismissal, a national election will be held to find its successor within two months.
The Central District Court of Seoul said on Friday that he had accepted Yoon’s request to be released from prison, citing the need to answer questions on the legality of investigations on the president. Yoon lawyers accused the investigation agency which held him before his official arrest of lack of legal authority to probe Rebellion charges.
The Seoul court also said that the legal period of its official arrest expired before being charged.
The release of Yoon intervened after the prosecutors decided not to appeal the decision of the Court of Seoul. The South Korean law allows prosecutors to continue to have a suspect while pursuing a call, even after the cancellation of his arrest by a court.
The main democratic party of the liberal opposition, which led Yoon’s dismissal on December 14, was unleashed to the decision of the prosecutors, calling them of the “henchmen” of Yoon, a former attorney general. Party spokesperson Cho Seung-Rae urged the Constitutional Court to reject Yoon as soon as possible to avoid other public disorders and anxiety.
Ahn Young-Joon / AP
At the heart of Yoon’s public criticisms on his Martial Law Decree was his sending hundreds of soldiers and police to the National Assembly after Place the country under the military regime. Certain senior military and police officials sent to the Assembly said that Yoon had ordered them to withdraw the legislators to thwart a parliamentary vote on the decree. Yoon a counters that he was aimed at maintaining order.
Enough legislators finally managed to enter an assembly room and voted unanimously to overthrow Yoon’s decree.
Investigators alleged that the decree of the Martial law of Yoon was equivalent to a rebellion. If he was found guilty of this offense, he would risk death or perpetuity imprisonment. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal proceedings, but that does not cover serious accusations such as rebellion and betrayal.
Yoon said that he did not intend to maintain martial law for a long time, because he only wanted to inform the public of the danger of the Democratic Party, who hampered his agenda and dismissed many senior officials and prosecutors. In his martial law announcement, Yoon described the assembly as “a lair as criminals” and “anti-state forces”.
The conservative-liberal fracture of South Korea is serious, and the rallies supporting or denouncing the dismissal of Yoon divided the streets of Seoul. Experts say that whatever the decision of the Constitutional Court, the division is sure to worsen.
