The former South Korean defense minister has testified at President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial. He said that he personally prepared for the implementation of martial law in December.

Kim Yong-hyun spoke as a witness at the fourth hearing of the trial at the Constitutional Court on Thursday. The court is to determine the validity of the president's impeachment over his brief declaration of martial law.

Yoon attended the hearing. He also appeared at the previous hearing on Tuesday.

When Yoon's lawyers asked Kim whether he had prepared for martial law after being ordered to do so by the president, Kim said yes.

Kim said that when he was drafting the decree, which included a ban on all political activities, he deleted a portion of it after Yoon expressed concern that the public may be inconvenienced.

Kim also noted that he had proposed the mobilization of 3,000 to 5,000 troops, but Yoon ordered him to deploy only 250.

Kim said that he respected this order, although it was different from his judgment. He added that he had doubts that martial law could be enforced.