A Seoul court has issued a warrant to formally arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law declaration last month, marking the first-ever detention of a sitting South Korean president.

A South Korean court on Sunday extended President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention for up to 20 days, citing concern he could destroy evidence in a criminal probe into his short-lived declaration of martial law in early December.

A Seoul court issued a warrant Sunday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for an extended period over his botched martial law bid last month, marking the first such detention of a sitting South Korean president in the country's modern history.