South Korea has started a criminal trial against its former president, Yoon Suk Yeol. He was removed from office earlier this month and is now facing serious charges of insurrection. The charges are linked to his decision to declare martial law in late 2024, which caused big protests and political chaos across the country.

During the court session on Monday, Yoon said he did not try to start a coup. He explained that his martial law order was only a response to the opposition party’s actions. At the time, the opposition had impeached over 20 government officials, including the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Yoon was ousted by the Constitutional Court for misusing his power. Prosecutors say he had no legal reason to declare martial law and that his actions disrupted the government’s work.

Wearing a navy suit and red tie, Yoon spoke in court for about 40 minutes. He said the martial law was only meant to send a peaceful message and was not supposed to last more than a day.

Yoon also said he had told the former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, about his plan. But he hinted that the military might have gone too far due to their training exercises related to martial law situations.

The trial is ongoing and is expected to continue attracting public attention.