South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over insurrection accusations related to his December 3 martial law declaration, investigators said.

The Asian country's anti-corruption agency confirmed Yoon had been detained hours after hundreds of investigators and police officers arrived at his presidential compound to apprehend him.

Later on Wednesday, investigators said that the former president would be held in a solitary cell for questioning. However, the cell had been made more comfortable, including a rest area, for Yoon's arrival.

South Korea entered its worst political crisis in decades after Yoon sent soldiers to storm the parliament following his declaration of martial law.

What did Yoon say after his arrest?

A former prosecutor who led the conservative People Power Party to election victory in 2022, Yoon said he relented to avoid "bloodshed."

"When I saw them break into the security area using firefighting equipment today, I decided to respond to the CIO's investigation, despite it being an illegal investigation, to prevent unsavory bloodshed," Yoon said in a statement, referring to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

However, it appeared that Yoon was not forthcoming following his arrest. A CIO official told reporters that the former president "is exercising his right to remain silent" while in their custody.

Wednesday's arrest makes Yoon the first incumbent president in the country's history to be taken into custody. He could face life in jail or even the death penalty if found guilty of insurrection.

Yoon says rule of law 'has collapsed'

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

Yoon was later seen stepping out of a vehicle after arriving at the anti-corruption agency's office in the nearby city of Gwacheon. Following the questioning, Yoon was expected to be sent to a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul. 

Authorities can hold Yoon for up to 48 hours on the current warrant. They would need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody longer.

Yoon's lawyers, however, have disputed the validity of the current warrant. 

Previous attempts to arrest Yoon were thwarted

Yoon had evaded arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS).

Yoon's guards had installed barbed wire and barricades, turning the residence into what the opposition called a "fortress."

A first attempt on January 3 failed and earlier on Wednesday, while trying to execute the arrest warrant for impeached Yoon, authorities said they were blocked once again by the president's guards.

Authorities were at the president's residence to execute an arrest warrant tied to his declaration of martial law in December.

Local news footage showed hundreds of police officers carrying ladders and wire cutters up to his hillside villa.

A witness told Reuters news agency that some minor clashes broke out between his supporters who had gathered there, and the authorities.

Clashes between government agencies led to tensions

"The execution of the presidential arrest warrant has begun," acting President Choi Sang-mok had said in a statement earlier in the day.

"This situation is a crucial moment for maintaining order and the rule of law in South Korea," the statement added. 

Some 6,500 of Yoon's supporters had gathered outside his official residence. A number of ruling party lawmakers formed a human chain in an attempt to prevent Yoon's arrest, Yonhap reported.

Presidential guards — who say it is their job to protect the impeached president — had stopped investigators from arresting the South Korean leader earlier this month.

rm,ss/jsi (Reuters, AP, dpa)