3 months ago
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SEOUL: South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from detention on Friday (Mar 7) after a court accepted his request to cancel his arrest warrant.
Yoon filed the request with the Seoul Central District Court last month, said the Yonhap news agency, adding that the politician claimed his indictment over the Dec 3 martial law declaration was illegal.
"South Korea's rule of law is still alive," Yoon's legal counsel said, according to broadcaster YTN.
Yoon's lawyers had argued the warrant issued on Jan 19 that has kept him in detention was invalid because the request filed by prosecutors was procedurally flawed.
Yonhap said the ruling People's Power Party welcomed the cancellation of Yoon's arrest warrant.
The 64-year-old is expected to take part in his trial while out of detention.
Yoon was arrested in mid-January on insurrection charges over his brief imposition of martial law following a weeks-long standoff with authorities.
His botched attempt to impose martial law late last year plunged the country into political turmoil, and despite widespread opposition, he had doubled down and vowed to stay on.
The martial law attempt only lasted six hours as the opposition-led parliament defied troops to vote it down, later impeaching him over the move.
The Constitutional Court must now decide whether to formally end Yoon's presidency or reinstate him.
If it upholds Yoon’s impeachment, he will be officially thrown out of office and a national election will be held to choose his successor within two months
