Former President Park Geun-hye returned home Thursday after being freed from a hospital three months after being pardoned for one of South Korea's greatest government corruption scandals.
Park was released from prison after serving nearly five years on corruption charges.
Park, 70, became the country's first democratically elected leader to be removed from office after the Constitutional Court upheld a parliament vote to impeach her in 2017 over a scandal that placed the leaders of two businesses, Samsung and Lotte, in prison.
"As president, I worked hard for the country and the people, but many hopes remained unfulfilled," Park told hundreds of cheering fans as she arrived at her house in the southern city of Daegu.
Park is the daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee, and her imprisonment polarized a society still shaped by Cold War rivalries between right and left.
"However, those dreams are the responsibility of others," Park stated, indicating that he has no intention of returning to the political arena.
"However, those dreams are the responsibility of others," Park stated, indicating that he has no intention of returning to the political arena. e stated that he will assist talented individuals in contributing to the growth of her hometown of Daegu and the country.
Park's release came just days after conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol won the presidential election.
Park was struck by an unidentifiable object just after she began delivering her broadcast remarks from a podium, but she smiled and thanked the fans.
The Supreme Court upheld Park's 20-year prison sentence last year for conspiring with a friend, who was also imprisoned, to acquire millions of dollars from the companies, mostly to assist her friend's family and non-profit organizations.
President Moon Jae-in, who leads a liberal administration, granted Park a special pardon in December, citing her declining health and his desire to move beyond the "unfortunate history" and promote national unity.
Earlier in the day, as she exited the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul, Park informed her approximately 40 supporters that her health had improved.
Dozens of former officials from her administration and conservative political party gathered as well to extend their best wishes.
Park then paid her respects to her father's grave before returning home.
President-elect Yoon, who was engaged in the investigation into Park's corruption accusations during his tenure as prosecutor-general, expressed regret during the election campaign for what happened to her.
He stated on Thursday that he hoped to meet her and would invite her to his May inauguration.
