Thousands of Yoon's supporters have rallied near his residence, chanting slogans and blocking roads to resist attempts to detain him.

A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, the embattled leader who plunged the country into political chaos by his shock decision to declare martial law nearly a month ago.

Officials called off the effort due to concerns over the safety of its personnel after they were outnumbered by cordons of presidential security service personnel inside the compound.