A former South Korean defence minister charged with insurrection for his role in a short-lived martial law attempt told a court on Thursday that he wanted a broader military deployment but was overruled by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The assembly impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last month, but the Constitutional Court will decide whether to formally dismiss or reinstate him.

He has been incarcerated for the past week, while investigators probe his botched attempt to impose martial law in early December.