Court orders South Korean President Yoon freed from jail for martial law trial

A South Korean tribunal connected Friday ordered impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to beryllium released from jail, a determination that could let Yoon to basal proceedings for his rebellion complaint without being physically detained.

Yoon was arrested and indicted successful January implicit the Dec. 3 martial instrumentality decree that plunged the state into governmental turmoil. The opposition-controlled parliament separately voted to impeach him, starring to his suspension from office.

The hearings successful his impeachment proceedings astatine the Constitutional Court concluded successful precocious February, and that tribunal is expected to regularisation soon connected whether to formally region him from bureau oregon reinstate him.

The Seoul Central District Court said it accepted Yoon’s petition to beryllium released from jailhouse due to the fact that the ineligible play of his ceremonial apprehension expired earlier helium was indicted.

SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW

The tribunal besides cited the request to resoluteness questions implicit the legality of the investigations connected Yoon. Yoon’s lawyers person accused the investigative bureau that detained him earlier his ceremonial apprehension of lacking ineligible authorization to probe rebellion charges.

Investigators person alleged that the martial-law decree amounted to rebellion. If he’s convicted of that offense, helium would look the decease punishment oregon beingness imprisonment.

Yoon's defence squad welcomed the court's determination and urged prosecutors to merchandise him immediately. The statesmanlike bureau besides welcomed the court’s decision, saying it hopes Yoon volition swiftly instrumentality to work.

However, South Korea instrumentality allows prosecutors to proceed to clasp a fishy whose apprehension has been suspended by a tribunal temporarily portion pursuing an appeal.

The main wide absorption Democratic Party, which led Yoon’s Dec. 14 impeachment, called connected prosecutors to instantly entreaty the court’s ruling.

A protagonist of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol holds a motion adjacent the statesmanlike residence successful Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 7, 2025. The letters read, "President was right."  (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

IMPEACHED SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT DETAINED WEEKS AFTER MARTIAL LAW CHAOS

Yoon’s martial instrumentality decree, which progressive the dispatch of troops and constabulary forces to the National Assembly, evoked traumatic memories of past subject rules among galore South Koreans. The decree lasted lone six hours, arsenic capable lawmakers managed to get into an assembly hallway and voted to overturn it unanimously.

Yoon aboriginal argued his decree was lone meant to pass the radical of the information of the absorption Democratic Party, which undermined his docket and impeached apical officials, and said helium dispatched troops to the assembly lone successful bid to support order. But immoderate apical subject and constabulary officers sent to the assembly person told Constitutional Court hearings oregon investigators that Yoon ordered them to resistance retired lawmakers to obstruct a ballot connected his decree oregon detain politicians.

If the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, helium volition beryllium officially thrown retired of bureau and a nationalist predetermination volition beryllium held to take his successor wrong 2 months. If the tribunal rejects his impeachment but helium is inactive successful jail, it's unclear whether and however soon helium volition beryllium capable to workout his statesmanlike powers.

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Massive rallies by opponents and supporters of Yoon person filled the streets of Seoul and different large South Korean cities. Whatever the Constitutional Court decides, experts accidental it volition apt further polarize the state and intensify its conservative-liberal divide.

Yoon is the archetypal South Korean president to beryllium arrested portion successful office. South Korean instrumentality gives a president immunity from astir transgression prosecution, but not for sedate charges similar rebellion oregon treason.

By law, a president successful South Korea has the powerfulness to enactment the state nether martial instrumentality successful wartime and akin exigency situations, but galore experts accidental South Korea wasn’t successful specified a authorities erstwhile Yoon declared martial law.