A former aide to ex-President Park Geun-hye, who's been serving a five-year jail term for his involvement in a massive influence-peddling scandal, was released after his detention period expired.

An Chong-bum, the former senior presidential economic secretary, left the Seoul Nambu Detention Center early Tuesday, where he has been detained since November of 2016.

When asked about his notebook that became the smoking gun in the corruption scandal during the Park administration and how he feels about being released, An said that he was sorry.

In February of 2018, the court found An guilty of abusing his power by colluding with Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil to coerce businesses into making contributions to two foundations, as well as receiving bribes from a plastic surgeon.

An was initially sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay a fine totaling 100 million won, but his jail term was reduced to five years and the fine down to 60 million won after he was partially cleared of bribery charges in the appeals trial.

His case now awaits a decision by the Supreme Court and he will have to serve the remainder of his sentence if the top court upholds the lower court's ruling.