South Korea's Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol Freed from Prison After Arrest Canceled

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been freed from prison after a court canceled his arrest. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of allowing him to stand trial for rebellion without being physically detained. Talk about a dramatic twist in South Korea’s political saga!

Yoon’s troubles began back in January when he was arrested and indicted over his controversial martial law decree issued in December. The decree, which shook the nation, was quickly overturned by the National Assembly, and they wasted no time voting to impeach him, leading to his suspension from office. Political turmoil? That’s an understatement.

On Saturday, Yoon made a public appearance, waving and bowing to a crowd of supporters who were chanting his name while waving South Korean and U.S. flags. He then climbed into a black van and headed to his residence in Seoul.

In a statement, Yoon expressed gratitude for the court’s decision, referring to it as a courageous move to "correct illegality." He also urged his supporters on hunger strikes protesting his impeachment to end their demonstrations. That’s one way to rally the troops, I guess.

The Constitutional Court is still deliberating whether Yoon will be formally dismissed or reinstated as president. Should the court uphold his impeachment, South Korea will face a presidential election within two months. Political fireworks, anyone?

The Seoul Central District Court justified its decision to release Yoon by pointing out legal concerns surrounding the investigation. Yoon’s legal team argued that the agency that initially detained him lacked the authority to investigate rebellion charges. Additionally, the court noted that the legal period for his formal arrest had already expired before his indictment.

Prosecutors chose not to appeal the court’s decision, which effectively allowed Yoon’s release. Under South Korean law, prosecutors could have kept him in custody during an appeal process, but they opted out. This decision didn’t sit well with the Democratic Party, the main liberal opposition, which spearheaded Yoon’s impeachment. They accused prosecutors of being “henchmen” of the former prosecutor general-turned-president.

Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Seung-rae ramped up the pressure on the Constitutional Court, urging a swift dismissal of Yoon to avoid further unrest. It seems the political drama in South Korea is far from over.