A South Korean court issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The Corruption Investigation Office is investigating Mr Yoon for imposing martial law on December 3.

The office applied for an arrest warrant on Monday after Mr Yoon ignored three summonses to appear for questioning.

According to Yonhap, Mr Yoon is the first sitting South Korean president to face an arrest.

Once Mr Yoon has been taken into custody, the office has 48 hours to decide whether to apply for an additional warrant to detain him for longer or release him, Yonhap reported.

However, the Presidential Security Service has blocked investigators from entering the presidential office compound and Yoon’s official residence to conduct court-approved searches, citing military security concerns.

Mr Yoon’s botched attempt to institute martial law shocked the nation but was rescinded just hours later following massive public resistance.

South Korea has been in a political crisis ever since.

The National Assembly voted to impeach Mr Yoon on December 14, and the Constitutional Court has launched the relevant proceedings to take a final decision on whether the assembly’s vote is constitutional or not.

Choi Sang Mok has been acting president since Friday, after lawmakers voted to impeach then-acting President Han Duck Soo, barely two weeks after Yoon was removed from the presidency.

Mr Yoon has labelled his political opponents “anti-state forces” and said that he made the declaration of martial law to protect the nation.

(dpa/NAN)