Impeached South Korean president apologizes to nation over martial law bid

South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk-yeol, apologized to the nation over a martial law bid in his final statement on Tuesday, local media Yonhap reports. 

Yoon denied having committed "insurrection" in declaring martial law in the final statement to an impeachment hearing that could formally remove him from office.

"The opposition party claims that I declared martial law to establish a dictatorship and extend my rule. This is a fabricated scheme to frame me for insurrection," Yoon told Seoul's Constitutional Court.

Yoon's legal team called for the dismissal of his impeachment, saying the opposition party's unilateral actions necessitated his short-lived imposition of martial law.

According to Yonhap, South Korea's National Assembly legal team demanded Yoon's removal from office on Tuesday.

(With input from AFP)