The former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs under the former Park Geun-hye administration was released from jail at the stroke of midnight as a local court did not issue another detention warrant.
Woo Byung-woo, who has been behind bars since December 2017,... was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison over his connection with a massive influence-peddling case involving ex-President Park.
He was also sentenced to another 18 months last month for illegally surveilling public officials and private citizens through the nation's intelligence agency.
Now, Woo will face appeal trial without detention.
