Yoon, detained in a solitary cell on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, appeared for a hearing in his impeachment trial which started at 2:00 p.m.
During the hearing, he refuted claims that he had directed military commanders to disrupt parliamentary proceedings or planned to act on the decree on Dec. 3.
When asked by Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae whether he had instructed military commanders to remove lawmakers from parliament following the decree, Yoon replied, "No."
Moon also questioned Yoon about a note allegedly instructing the Ministry of Economy and Finance to allocate a budget for an emergency legislative body.
"I never gave such a note. I only became aware of it after it was reported in the media," Yoon said.
Prosecutors had previously said in their indictment that Yoon handed a directive to Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Dec. 3, calling for the establishment of an emergency legislative body.
However, Choi testified last month during a parliamentary inquiry that he had not closely reviewed the document and that it was provided by an aide, not directly by the president.
Addressing accusations that the decree was based on unproven allegations of election fraud, Yoon defended his actions, citing public doubts about the fairness of elections.
"There were significant questions about the integrity of the electoral process, particularly after a partial review of election commission systems by the National Intelligence Service revealed serious issues," Yoon said.
He said that his directive was not to investigate election fraud but to ensure a comprehensive review of the commission's IT systems. "This was not about promoting conspiracy theories but verifying facts," he said.
"Preventing or delaying a parliamentary resolution is not feasible," he argued, adding that the National Assembly acted swiftly in accordance with its rules. "After the resolution, I immediately ordered the withdrawal of military forces," Yoon said.
At the start of the hearing, Yoon expressed regret for burdening the Constitutional Court with his impeachment case.
"As someone who has steadfastly upheld the values of liberal democracy, I deeply respect this court’s role in safeguarding the Constitution," he said.
Yoon concluded by pledging his cooperation during the trial, stating, "I will provide further clarification whenever necessary."
The hearing proceeded without witnesses, allowing the justices to focus solely on the evidence submitted by the National Assembly and Yoon's legal team. The court has previously admitted a range of evidence related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration including news coverage and CCTV footage.
The court already held two hearings for the trial, both of which the president declined to attend, citing security concerns. He decided to appear in person after a warrant for his detention was issued early Sunday.
Yoon, who had been holed up at his official residence in Hananm-dong, Seoul, was arrested on Jan. 8 in a large-scale operation involving approximately 2,000 police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) before being detained in a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.
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