Yoon, who was impeached and suspended from office in December, is the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of a prolonged period in custody, lasting months or longer, as he faces the possibility of imprisonment on potential rebellion charges linked to his imposition of martial law on Dec.

Lawyers for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed in their court effort to secure his release on Thursday, a day after he was detained at his residence for questioning over rebellion allegations linked to his martial law declaration last month.

Lawyers for South Korea’s impeached president say he will appear at a hearing in a Seoul court to oppose a formal arrest over last month’s imposition of martial law

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing charges of rebellion after he briefly imposed martial law in December. Supporters of the embattled politician broke into a Seoul court and broke windows and equipment.

Law enforcement authorities have requested a warrant to formally arrest impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is spending his third day at a detention center after his lawyers failed in a last-minute attempt to secure his release.

Since police broke up a crowd of Yoon's supporters blocking the court gate in the morning, thousands of supporters surrounded the court after the hearing began at around 2 p.m. (0500 GMT) behind a police barricade chanting "release the president".

Lawyers representing South Korea’s impeached president say he will refuse further questioning after being detained by anti-corruption officials over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month,

As 3,000 riot police swarmed his hillside villa on Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol huddled with party loyalists, telling them that people were increasingly realising the country's legal system had been hijacked by leftist forces.