South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's switch from contrition to defiance on Thursday over his martial law order rallied some supporters but other members of his party said it did nothing to sway their view that he must be removed from office.

In an address to the nation, President Yoon Suk Yeol claimed the opposition-controlled parliament has been destroying the country's liberal democratic order.

Prosecutors have also accused Kim Yong Hyun, ousted defence minister, of advising the president to deploy troops to block parliamentary votes on the decree. Mr Kim, currently in custody, reportedly attempted to take his own life but was stabilised after intervention by detention centre officials.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was banned from leaving the country Monday as investigations for treason and abuse of power over his short-lived martial law decree get underway.

Veteran South Korean broadcaster Kim Ou-joon said he left home and went into hiding minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last week in a televised announcement. Fearing for his life,

South Korean prosecutors are seeking to formally arrest the former defense minister alleged to have colluded with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly escaped an impeachment attempt following his controversial martial law declaration earlier this week.

From trade and diplomacy to markets and budgets, South Korea struggled to contain the fallout from the president's brief but shocking martial law attempt last week, just as the country navigates an uncertain future with its ally the United States.

Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment vote, but his presidency is in a “vegetative” state, analysts say, with government and military officials eroding his authority.