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 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.

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