SOUTH Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to resist attempts to arrest him today, as the anti-corruption agency requested a court warrant to do so.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, leading a joint investigation with the police and military into Mr Yoon’s December 3 declaration of martial law, asked for the warrant following the president refused to appear for questioning and blocked a search of his offices.

Mr Yoon’s lawyer argues the corruption agency does not have the authority to investigate rebellion or treason, the crimes it seeks to establish.

Opposition spokesman Han Min Soo said detaining Mr Yoon would be a step towards “ending the rebellion and restoring normalcy.”

But the country is engulfed in a constitutional row over whether the president’s behaviour was illegal and what can be done about it. Under South Korean law, he can continue to deny access to the presidential offices while he remains president, and could hole up there if police seek his arrest.