South Korean authorities have granted a request to extend a warrant to detain the country’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his surprise declaration of martial law last month.

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency says it has received a new court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its previous attempt was blocked by the presidential security service last week.

A South Korean court has re-issued a warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country's corruption investigation agency said on Tuesday.

The Seoul Western District Court extended Yoon’s arrest warrant, which expired on Monday, according to the country’s anti-graft agency. The agency’s chief Oh Dong-woon apologised earlier in the day for the failure to arrest Yoon, due to his security forces strong resistance, and vowed to arrest him in the second attempt.

Thousands of South Korean citizens were gathering on Sunday near impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s residence a day before an arrest warrant for him expires.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will likely seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Yoon’s detention, according to police.

South Korean investigators have suspended efforts to enforce an arrest warrant for embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, hours into a standoff in which authorities tried to detain the leader following his short-lived martial law declaration.

South Korean anti-graft investigators secured a new court-ordered arrest warrant Tuesday for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose failed martial law bid threw the country into turmoil. The former star prosecutor has refused questioning three times after his bungled December 3 martial law decree plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.