Seoul, March 7: The South Korean presidential office on Friday welcomed a court’s decision to release impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from detention, expressing hope that Yoon would soon return to office.
In a statement, the presidential office said it “welcomes the decision to revoke the president’s arrest.” “The unlawful and performative investigation of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which has no investigative authority, has been rightfully corrected belatedly,” the presidential office said in a statement.
“The presidential office, as well as the people, hopes for the president’s swift return to office,” he said. Shortly after the court’s decision, presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk presided over a meeting with senior aides. Kwon Young-se, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly and hailed the court’s decision as a “crucial moment that reaffirms the rule of law and justice in South Korea.” “We, along with the people, welcome the court’s wise ruling made in accordance with legal principles and conscience,” he said.
“I hope the Constitutional Court will also make a fair and just ruling based solely on constitutional values.” Meanwhile, Opposition lawmakers strongly protested against Yoon’s release and urged the prosecution to immediately file for an appeal, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon has been held at a detention centre since investigators detained him and brought him there on January 15 on charges of inciting an insurrection through his failed bid to impose martial law in December last year.
The Seoul Central District Court said it approved Yoon’s request in February to cancel his arrest and release him after determining that his January 26 indictment on insurrection charges, which allowed his detention to be extended, had come hours after the initial detention period had already expired.
The 10-day initial detention period excludes the time documents were sent to a court for a review of whether to issue an arrest warrant, pushing back the deadline of Yoon’s detention to around 9 a.m. January 26, whereas the prosecution indicted him shortly before 7 p.m. that day, according to the court.
IANS
