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.

The nation’s top court unanimously upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, clearing the way for the election of a new president.