Written by Hyunsoo Yim and Hyunhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) – A former South Korean defense minister charged with rebellion for his role in trying to briefly implement martial law told a court on Thursday that he wanted a broader military deployment, but that was overruled by President Yoon Suk-yul.

Kim Young-hyun, who resigned after martial law was imposed on December 3 and is now imprisoned, testified before the country’s Constitutional Court, which is deciding whether to reinstate Yoon or completely remove him from power after his impeachment on December 14.

Central to Yun’s defense is that he never intended to impose military rule, and only used the decree to break a political stalemate.

“Yes,” Kim said when Yoon’s lawyers asked him whether the president had dropped the Defense Minister’s recommendation to mobilize all military units stationed in Seoul.

Kim confirmed that he also proposed sending some units to the opposition party headquarters and a leftist reconnaissance company.

The Constitutional Court began its trial on December 27 to review accusations that Yoon violated his constitutional duty by imposing martial law without justification.

In a previous hearing, Parliament’s legal team presented testimony from military commanders and video footage showing military helicopters landing on Parliament grounds as special forces stormed the main building, as well as forces moving toward the National Election Commission.

A lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party condemned the “December 3 rebellion,” saying that Yoon and his supporters sought chaos by refusing to accept the latest arrest warrant issued against him.

On Thursday, South Korea’s anti-corruption agency referred its case to prosecutors, recommending that Yoon be charged with rebellion and abuse of power.

In December, Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the military’s Special Warfare Command, told a parliamentary committee that he received several phone calls from Yoon as events unfolded, including an order to “recall” lawmakers from parliament.

Kwak, who has since been indicted on sedition charges, said he chose not to carry out the order.

When Yoon was asked about the report by a Constitutional Court judge on Tuesday, he denied issuing such an order.

Deployment of forces

Other military officers said it was Kim who issued the order to remove the lawmakers from both houses of parliament.

Kim admitted on Thursday that he suggested to Yoon that he declare martial law.

He said the president is concerned that the opposition party is obsessed with only three things – protecting the opposition leader from legal responsibilities, removing government officials, and launching special investigations against Yoon.

“The parliamentary opposition’s dictatorship and violence are out of control” and left no alternative, Yoon was quoted as saying.

About 1,605 soldiers and 3,144 police officers were deployed, including at the headquarters of the National Assembly and the National Election Commission, according to the indictment against the army commanders submitted by MP Bo Seong Chan and seen by Reuters.

Some of them entered the Parliament building itself, including by smashing windows, where they confronted staff who used furniture to barricade doors and fire extinguishers.

Yoon called off martial law six hours later after Parliament defied the military and police cordon to vote against the decree.

During Thursday’s hearing, Yoon disputed suggestions that martial law had been thwarted, saying he had always intended it to be a limited process.

“This was not a failed military rule, but rather it ended a little sooner than expected, as the National Assembly quickly demanded its lifting, and also ordered the army’s withdrawal,” Yoon said.

Kim said he shared the names of people who might violate the decree with the Defense Counterintelligence Commander on December 3, but it was not an arrest list.

Yoon could be seen nodding to Kim from time to time during the testimony.