South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol was detained Wednesday morning after a tense confrontation inside the presidential palace, the Associated Press reported, marking the first time in the country's history that a sitting president has been arrested.

The political drama unfolded like a blockbuster, with black SUVs, police escorts and a five-hour siege of the presidential palace as law enforcement officers climbed onto buses and cut through barbed wire to gain access to the defiant leader. Mr Yoon hid in his residence in Hannam-dong for weeks and maintained a dramatic stance until the end, recording a video before his arrest declaring that "the rule of law in this country has completely collapsed".

The impeached president declared martial law on December 3 — a declaration that opposition lawmakers significantly blocked by breaking a military blockade — ultimately leading to his impeachment by parliament on December 14, and he is currently being investigated by the Office for the Investigation of Senior Officials into Corruption detention. The agency is investigating whether his statements amounted to an attempted insurrection, and investigators have 48 hours to apply for a formal arrest warrant.

Yin exercised his right to remain silent during the initial interrogation, which heightened the political scene, according to agency officials. The Seoul Western District Court's detention order was unsparing, stating that there were "sufficient grounds" to suspect Yoon of being a "rebellion leader."

In true political theater fashion, competing protests erupted near the presidential palace, with Yoon's supporters and critics holding competing demonstrations while police in yellow vests kept an uneasy peace.

The White House National Security Council weighed in on the unfolding drama, carefully steering the diplomatic needle by expressing support for "the people of South Korea and our shared commitment to the rule of law" while reaffirming its relationship with the administration of acting leader Choe Sang-mok.

The Constitutional Court, which began impeachment hearings on Tuesday with a brief five-minute session in Yoon's absence, now has the power to decide whether the political thriller ends with his ouster or a surprise comeback.