On Saturday, March 8, 2025, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol walked out of a detention center in Seoul following the decision of the prosecutors not to appeal a court decision to cancel Yoon’s arrest warrant on insurrection charges.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol remains suspended from his official duties, and his impeachment and criminal trial continue over his imposition of martial law on December 3.
Yoon’s arrest warrant was canceled by the Seoul Central District Court on Friday, citing the timing of his indictment and “questions about the legality” of the investigation process.
Yoon said in a statement, “I would like to thank the Central District Court for their courage and determination in correcting the illegality.”
Yoon’s lawyers said the court decision “confirmed that the president’s detainment was problematic in both procedural and substantive aspects,” calling the ruling the “beginning of a journey to restore rule of law.”
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party, called the prosecution’s judgment “throwing the country and people into crisis” and requested the Constitutional Court to as soon as possible remove Yoon from office.
According to the Yonhap news agency, some 55,000 Yoon supporters rallied in Seoul’s main districts, while 32,500 people demonstrated against him near the Constitutional Court on Saturday.
According to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, the public is still largely against Yoon, with 60% of respondents believing he should be removed from office and 35% disagreeing.
Hundreds of Yoon supporters also demonstrated in front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office prior to the prosecutors’ ruling.
