TV footage has shown South Korea’s impeached Yoon Suk Yeol coming out of prison.
Yoon waved and bowed to his supporters after he came out of a detention centre in Seoul, a day after a court in the capital cancelled his arrest to allow him to stand trial for his rebellion charge without being physically detained.
Yoon was arrested and indicted by prosecutors in January over his December 3 martial law decree that plunged the country into political turmoil.
The opposition-controlled National Assembly separately voted to impeach Yoon, leading to his suspension from office.
Yoon bowed to his supporters outside the centre (Yonhap via AP)
The Constitutional Court has been deliberating whether to formally dismiss or reinstate Yoon. If the court upholds his impeachment, a national election will be held to find his successor within two months.
The Seoul Central District Court said on Friday it had accepted Yoon’s request to be released from prison, citing the need to address questions over the legality of the investigations into the President.
Yoon’s lawyers have accused the investigative agency that detained him before his formal arrest of lacking the legal authority to probe rebellion charges.
The Seoul court also said the legal period of his formal arrest expired before he was indicted.