The Battles and the War: South Korea’s Jailed Leader Wins Reprieve

South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was released from prison over the weekend after a court voided his arrest warrant, a move that comes as the constitutional court deliberates on formally removing him from office, the Guardian reported.

In January, Yoon was indicted on charges of rebellion after imposing martial law on Dec. 3, a move that plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment by the opposition-controlled parliament in mid-December.

But on Friday, the Seoul Central District Court accepted Yoon’s request to be released from prison, citing legal concerns over the validity of the investigation and procedural issues regarding his detention.

Prosecutors said they would not appeal his release, which would allow Yoon to prepare for his criminal and impeachment trials outside of prison.

Yoon’s lawyers called the court’s decision “the beginning of a journey to restore rule of law,” while the former president thanked the judiciary for its “courage in correcting illegality.”

The opposition Democratic Party denounced the court ruling, accusing prosecutors of “throwing the country and people into crisis” and calling for Yoon’s swift removal. The party has argued that Yoon’s martial law decree constituted an attempted coup.

Meanwhile, investigators say that Yoon’s martial-law decree amounted to rebellion, which, under South Korean law, could mean the death penalty. While presidents have legal immunity from most prosecutions, that immunity does not apply to serious crimes, such as rebellion and treason.

Yoon maintains that his martial law order was intended to expose what he described as “anti-state forces” within the legislature, which had blocked his policies and impeached a number of officials.

Legal analysts said that while Friday’s ruling did not vindicate Yoon, it cast doubt on the legitimacy of the indictment, Al Jazeera noted.

Mass protests erupted in Seoul following his release Saturday, with about 55,000 people marching in support of Yoon and 32,500 demonstrating against him near the constitutional court.

Public opinion remains sharply divided: A Gallup Korea poll on Friday found that 60 percent of respondents support removing Yoon from office, while 35 percent oppose it.

The country’s top court is now deliberating whether to permanently remove him from office, which would trigger a presidential election within 60 days.