Former South Korean President Park, who has been in prison for almost 5 years, has been released by Reuters

Author: Hyonhee Shin

SEUL (Reuters) – Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been released from prison nearly five years after being convicted of corruption on Friday, sparking controversy over whether he will play a role before the March presidential election.

Park, 69, was the first democratically elected leader in the country when the Constitutional Court upheld his parliamentary vote in 2017 after a scandal in which Samsung imprisoned the leaders of the two conglomerates (KS:) and Lotte.

The South Korean Supreme Court upheld in January that Park, along with a friend who is also in prison, upheld a 20-year prison sentence for co-ordination to receive tens of millions of won from companies, mostly to finance his friend’s family and non-family members. -Win foundations.

President Moon Jae-in gave a special apology to Parki last week, citing his deteriorating health and hoping to “overcome the unfortunate history of the past and promote national unity.”

The dispatchers were shown leaving a hospital in Park Seoul, where he had been undergoing medical treatment for the past month, after corrective officials apologized at midnight.

He did not comment, but his lawyer said Park, the daughter of a former military official, apologized for the public’s concern and thanked Moon for making a “tough decision”.

The release of the park came as his old party, the main opposition Conservative People’s Power Party and Moon’s Democratic Party are in close competition for the presidency.

His imprisonment divided the country, with right-wing park groups holding weekly rallies to denounce Moon and his policies and demand the release of the park, until COVID-19’s restraining rules drowned out the rallies last year.

Hundreds of people in the park were exposed to freezing temperatures as they approached the hospital where they were staying late on Thursday, with more than 1,000 flower bouquets arriving.

About 200 people have protested against his release in central Seoul, the Yonhap news agency reported.

It was unclear whether Park would pursue political activity, but said in a statement released on Thursday that his conviction was politically motivated and that he hoped to “meet people again one day.”

People’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, who investigated the Park case as chief prosecutor, said on Friday that he had done his job as a public servant, and said he would like to visit the Park when his health improves.