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.

Tensions ran high near the residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Thursday, as rival protesters clashed and hundreds of supporters formed a blockade to prevent his imminent arrest.

Supporters of suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol blocked access to his office on Thursday in an attempt to prevent his arrest, the Yonhap news agency reported. It said police had violently broken up a blockade by around 30 supporters who had broken through a barrier near the president's residence in the South Korean capital Seoul.