President Yoon of South Korea is free, and trials are ongoing after the court lifts his arrest

On Saturday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol left a detention facility after prosecutors declined to appeal a court ruling that revoked the impeached leader’s arrest order on insurrection-related charges.

Yoon, 64, is still suspended from his job, and his criminal and impeachment prosecutions over his brief declaration of martial law on December 3 are still ongoing.

Due to concerns regarding the validity of the investigation and the timeliness of Yoon’s indictment, 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 prepared statement.

On his way out of the building, Yoon, wearing a dark suit without a necktie, stepped out of his car, waved, raised his fist, and bowed to ecstatic fans holding American and South Korean flags.

Described as the “beginning of a journey to restore rule of law,” his attorneys said the court’s finding “confirmed that the president’s detainment was problematic in both procedural and substantive aspects.”

It was not immediately possible to contact the prosecutors for comment.

The Democratic Party, which is the biggest opposition party, called the prosecutors’ judgment “throwing the country and people into crisis” and demanded the Constitutional Court to remove Yoon from office immediately.

The Constitutional Court is anticipated to rule in the next few days on whether to reinstate or remove Yoon from office following his impeachment trial.

According to unconfirmed police estimates cited by Yonhap news agency, 32,500 protesters demonstrated against Yoon near the Constitutional Court on Saturday, while about 55,000 supporters of the politician gathered in Seoul’s main districts.

However, a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday found that the public is still heavily anti-Yoon, with 60% of respondents believing he should be removed from office and 35% opposing removal.
In front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, hundreds of Yoon supporters also demonstrated before the prosecutors’ ruling.

“I was very sorry that he couldn’t come out quickly, and it was a hard time for me to wait, but it was very much worth the wait,” declared Lee Heoung-ok, a 62-year-old supporter who waited at the detention facility for Yoon’s release.

According to Shim Ye-rin, 27, “I witnessed him welcoming his supporters and moving out on his own two feet. I thought it was a little absurd because it felt like something that did not belong in a democratic society and went against common sense.

The Seoul Detention Centre, situated in the city of Uiwang, 22 kilometers (14 miles) south of Seoul, has been housing Yoon, the first South Korean president to be imprisoned while in office, since January 15.