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.

South Korean anti-corruption agency asked prosecutors to indict impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges after wrapping up a preliminary investigation into his ill-fated martial law declaration.

South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was formally arrested early Sunday, days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul, as he faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.