South Korean impeached President Yoon arrested over failed martial law bid

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested over his failed martial law bid, after hundreds of anti-graft investigators and police raided his residence to end a weeks-long standoff.

Hundreds of police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office had streamed up the driveway to the presidential residence before dawn on Wednesday, some scaling perimeter walls and hiking up back trails to reach the main building.

It was their second effort to arrest Yoon.

A first attempt on January 3 failed after a tense hours-long standoff with members of Yoon's official Presidential Security Service (PSS), who refused to budge when investigators tried to execute their warrant.

Yoon's lawyer announced on Wednesday morning the president had agreed to speak to investigators and that he had decided to leave the residence to prevent a "serious incident".

"President Yoon has decided to personally appear at the Corruption Investigation Office today," Seok Dong-hyeon said on Facebook, adding that Yoon would also deliver a speech.

But investigators announced shortly after that Yoon had been arrested.

"The Joint Investigation Headquarters executed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol today (January 15) at 10:33 am (0130 GMT)," they said in a statement.

'Rule of law collapsed'

In a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, Yoon lamented that the "rule of law has completely collapsed in this country."

Yoon's lawyers tried to persuade investigators not to execute the detention warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency declined.

Yoon had been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to "fight to the end" against the efforts to oust him.

He has justified his declaration of martial law on December 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an "anti-state" opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda.

Due to the tense situation, police decided not to carry firearms but only to wear bulletproof vests for the new attempt on Wednesday, in case they were met by armed guards, local media reported.

Following his arrest, Yoon can be held for up to 48 hours on the existing warrant. Investigators would need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.