South Korean Court Orders Impeached President Be Released From Custody

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal counsel praised the ruling but said that his release may not be immediate as prosecutors could still appeal.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 23, 2025. Joen Heon-Kyun/Pool via Reuters

A South Korean court on Friday canceled the arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is suspended from official duties, allowing his release from custody.

Yoon had been in detention since Jan. 15 on charges of insurrection—a crime for which a president does not have immunity—following his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.