Former President Park Geun-hye is expected to be sent back to a detention center as early as Tuesday, after 2 1/2 months in a hospital for shoulder treatment, sources said.

The 67-year-old, jailed in March 2017 over a massive corruption case, underwent an operation for a rotator cuff tear at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in mid-September. She has since received rehabilitation treatment.

"(She) will be discharged at 2:00 p.m. today," said Hong Moon-jong, co-chair of Our Republican Party, a rightist party consisting of loyalists to the disgraced former leader.

A Ministry of Justice official confirmed that Park will be sent back to the detention center soon but said no schedule has been fixed.

A hospital official also confirmed that rehabilitation has been completed and the hospital is waiting for the Ministry of Justice's decision.

Park has stayed in a VIP room at the hospital in southern Seoul, with her contact with the outside restricted.

Park, ousted in 2017 after months of protests, is serving a total of 32 years in prison for bribery, abuse of power, election law violations and other charges.

In August, the Supreme Court ordered a retrial of the corruption case in which she was sentenced to 25 years in prison by an appeals court. The top court said some of the bribery charges should be dealt with separately, which may lead to a heavier punishment.

Park filed for stays of execution in April and September for a spinal disease, but both were rejected by the prosecution. (Yonhap)