Seoul, South Korea - Investigators probing South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law are seeking an arrest warrant for the suspended president after he repeatedly failed to show up for questioning.

"The Joint Investigation Headquarters filed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol with the Seoul Western District Court," investigators said in a statement Monday.

The application marks the first attempt to forcibly detain a sitting president in the country's constitutional history.

Yoon was stripped of his presidential duties by parliament over his short-lived martial law declaration this month. A constitutional court ruling is pending on whether to confirm the impeachment.

China China's Xi says "no one can stop" unification with Taiwan in New Year's speech

The power-grab plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

The turmoil deepened last week when his replacement, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by parliament for failing to sign through bills for investigations into Yoon.

A former prosecutor himself, Yoon had been summoned three times for questioning, but refused to present himself each time – including by Monday's deadline.

The conservative leader faces criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

He is being investigated by prosecutors as well as a joint team comprising police, defense ministry, and anti-corruption officials.

A 10-page prosecutors' report seen by AFP stated that Yoon authorized the military to fire their weapons if it was needed to break into the parliament building during his failed martial law bid.