Investigative authorities said a South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and suspended from power over his decision to impose martial law on December 3.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Level Officials (CIO) confirmed that the Seoul Western District Court had approved an investigative order investigating Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law.
According to local media, this is the first arrest warrant issued for a sitting president in South Korea.
The CIO did not comment on the court's reasoning for issuing the arrest warrant. The court declined to comment.
It was unclear when or how Yoon's arrest warrant would be executed. South Korea's presidential security service said in a statement on Tuesday that it would treat the arrest warrant according to due process.
The CIO said the court also approved a search warrant for Yoon's residence.
Earlier, as part of the investigation, the police tried to break into the president's office, but to no avail because access was blocked by the presidential security service.
Yoon faces investigation on possible charges of involvement in the uprising. The insurrection is one of the few charges from which the South Korean president does not have immunity.
Acting leader of South Korea's ruling People's Power Party, Kweon Seong-dong, said on Tuesday that it was inappropriate to try to detain the sitting president, according to Yonhap News Agency.