Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s since-impeached president, had been planning for months to impose martial law and target political opponents, according to accounts.

The lawyers for a former South Korean defence minister under investigation on insurrection charges said on Thursday a short-lived martial law decree imposed earlier this month was to raise alarm on opposition parties' abuse of the democratic process.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol again declined to appear for questioning by investigators over his martial law declaration as the embattled leader seeks to first defend himself at an impeachment trial.