Former defense minister Suh Wook was granted release 17 days after his arrest for his alleged mishandling of the 2020 killing of a fisheries official by North Korean soldiers near the western maritime border.

The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday accepted Suh's request for a reconsideration of the legality of his arrest, on the condition that he pay a 100 million-won security and does not contact or meet with anyone involved in the case.

Suh is accused of ordering the deletion of classified military intelligence that challenged the then-Moon Jae-in government's assumption at the time that the official, named Lee Dae-jun, had attempted to defect to the North before being shot.

Suh is also suspected of ordering changes to a report drawn up by the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS).

Former Coast Guard chief Kim Hong-hee, who was detained on the same day as Suh, was granted a temporary release on Sunday due to his father's passing.

Kim is accused of manipulating evidence to create the impression that the deceased official had attempted to defect.

The prosecution is expected to soon indict both Suh and Kim.