After prosecutors opted not to appeal a court ruling to revoke the impeached leader’s arrest warrant on rebellion charges, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol left a prison facility on Saturday. Due to his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, Yoon, 64, is still suspended from his office and his criminal and impeachment cases are still ongoing. Citing the timeliness of Yoon’s indictment and concerns regarding the legitimacy of the investigation, the Seoul Central District Court revoked his arrest warrant on Friday.
“I would like to thank the Central District Court for their courage and determination in correcting the illegality,” Yoon said in a press release. A contented and cheerful Yoon, wearing a dark suit without a necktie, exited the building, waved, lifted his fist, and bowed to applauding fans brandishing American and South Korean flags. His attorneys referred to the court’s finding as the “beginning of a journey to restore rule of law” and said it “confirmed that the president’s detainment was problematic in both procedural and substantive aspects.”
Comment from prosecutors was not immediately available. Prosecutors’ judgment was criticized by the main opposition Democratic Party for “throwing the country and people into crisis” and they called on the Constitutional Court to remove Yoon from office immediately.
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