Yoon Suk Yeol's legal saga is far from over. Ten days after he was ousted from office over his martial law declaration, the former conservative South Korean president appeared for the first time at his criminal trial Monday on high-stakes rebellion charges.

South Korea's ousted leader Yoon Suk Yeol argued that his brief martial law declaration late last year was "not a coup d’etat" as he appeared in court on Monday for the start of a criminal trial over charges that he led an insurrection.

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in a Seoul court on Monday for the start of his trial on charges of insurrection and treason, following his declaration of martial law during a budget dispute in December.