President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea was authorized for release from custody on Friday. Last December, lawmakers impeached him and indicted him on criminal charges related to the declaration of martial law.
Since his arrest in January on charges of heading an insurrection, Yoon has been in custody. Nevertheless, the Seoul Central District Court was able to cancel his arrest warrant on Friday, thereby enabling his release.
The court’s ruling stated that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), the agency that had requested the arrest warrant against Yoon, does not have investigative jurisdiction over the crime of insurrection.
The court revoked Yoon’s arrest warrant to eliminate “doubts regarding the legality of the investigation process” and ensure procedural clarity, according to the court.
It was further added that any additional unresolved “legal controversies” during the criminal trial could “serve as grounds for annulment in a higher court and may also provide grounds for a retrial even after a significant amount of time has passed.”
In a statement, Yoon’s lawyers expressed their satisfaction with the ruling, asserting that the court had clearly defined the nature of laws and principles and that the decision demonstrated the aliveness of the rule of law in this country.
Yoon’s impeachment trial was conducted independently of his criminal charges. It is anticipated that the Constitutional Court, the nation’s highest court, will decide whether to keep Yoon’s impeachment or reinstate him to his position in the upcoming weeks.
Yoon can now await the impeachment verdict at home after Friday’s ruling.
