South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol contested his arrest on rebellion charges in one court and pleaded to preserve his presidency in the other, both cases related to his brief imposition of martial law.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is in court for a hearing where his lawyers are contesting his arrest on a criminal charge alleging he was orchestrating a rebellion when he imposed martial law.

South Korea's ousted premier said on Thursday that he had opposed suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, testifying for the first time at his former boss's impeachment trial about the events of a night that threw the country into turmoil.