Parties clash over court’s ruling to release Yoon

SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) — The ruling and opposition parties sparred on Saturday over a court decision to release detained President Yoon Suk yeol, deepening the political divide that has thrown the country into political turmoil.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) demanded Yoon’s immediate release, denouncing his detention as “illegal” during a protest in front of the Supreme Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul.

“They are still detaining the president 20 hours after the court ruled for his release,” the PPP’s interim leader Kwon Young-se said at the protest, urging the prosecution not to “give in to threats from the opposition party.”

The protest was attended by 35 PPP lawmakers, who chanted, “Release the president.”

Kweon Seong-dong, the party’s floor leader, warned that the party would file a complaint against the prosecution on charges of “illegal detention” if it failed to free the president.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) strongly urged the prosecution to appeal the court’s decision during a rally near the same prosecution office. The party warned that failing to do so would be a “betrayal of the people and a concession to the ringleader of an insurrection.”

Emphasizing that an appeal was a legitimate legal procedure, the DP cautioned that not pursuing this option would be viewed as “an excuse” to “set Yoon Suk Yeol free.”

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled to release President Yoon, who is standing trial on insurrection charges over the Dec. 3 martial law decree, citing procedural errors.

By law, prosecutors have seven days to appeal, following the ruling. Otherwise, Yoon will be released.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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