Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, standing trial over the December 3 martial law case, denied ordering the deployment of troops to the then-opposition Democratic Party(DP) headquarters and a polling company run by a liberal commentator. 

At the first hearing on Monday, the prosecution summarized the indictment, saying former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun was ordered to occupy the National Election Commission(NEC), DP headquarters and the polling firm “Flower Research.”

The state agency said former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun handed a document outlining the plan to former Police Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho and Kim Bong-sik, former chief of Seoul police, while requesting police cooperation. 

The former president refuted the prosecution's indictment, saying he ordered an immediate suspension of the plan after learning about it from the former defense chief 

The prosecution also accused Yoon of ordering deployment at the election watchdog and attempting to arrest and detain NEC officials while seizing electronic data without a warrant. 

Yoon claimed troops were sent to screen the watchdog's system amid concerns following a 2023 inspection briefing, not to investigate allegations of election rigging.