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.

South Korean investigators asked prosecutors to indict detained President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, which the country's ousted defence minister testified that he wanted a broader military deployment than Yoon.