South Korea's former Navy chief whose bribery case is pending at an appeals court has been released on bail, the court said Friday.

The Seoul High Court said it has accepted the motion filed by former Navy Chief of Staff Jung Ok-keun, who was indicted in 2011 on charges of receiving some 770 million won ($663,000) from a local firm in return for helping it win deals to build the Navy's defense equipments.

Jung received a 10-year jail term at a district court and a reduced four-year term at the appeals court.

The Supreme Court, however, overturned the decision and returned the case to the lower court, saying it is hard to see the money given to a company owned by Jung's son as the defendant's own profit.

The bail was made about 17 months after he was put under detention in late January last year.

Observers said the decision seems to have been made in consideration of Jung's right to defend himself, as well as that he was likely to get a reduced sentence.  (Yonhap)