South Korea's police have suspended their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration in early December
Following an hours-long stand-off between officers and Yoon's presidential security team, investigators said they would decide next steps after a review
There was high drama as a team of 20 officers that arrived at the presidential residence about 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT) eventually grew to 80 an hour later
A court issued the warrant against Yoon earlier this week after he refused to appear before officials investigating him for abusing his power and inciting an insurrection
Yoon's legal team called the warrant "unlawful" and said they would challenge it
Yoon was suspended from office on 14 December after lawmakers voted to impeach him, but he can only be removed from office if this is upheld by the country's constitutional court
Watch: The scene outside President Yoon's home as arrest drama intensifies
Image source, Getty ImagesSouth Korea's army chief Park An-su
Meanwhile, prosecutors have indicted army chief Park An-su, who was named martial law commander during the brief declaration last month, and special forces commander Kwak Jong-geun on insurrection charges, according to news outlet Yonhap.
They are to face trial while in prison.
South Korean officials have previously failed to execute similar arrest warrants for lawmakers, thanks to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven-day period that such warrants are valid for.
In 2004, Democratic Party leader Han Hwa-gap avoided arrest over illegal political donation allegations, and in 2000, officials tried to arrest then Grand National Party member Jeong Hyeong-geun four times - though he ended up appearing for questioning voluntarily.
Investigators have until 6 January to arrest Yoon, before the warrant expires.
Jake Kwon
Reporting from Seoul
Image source, ReutersSome members of the arrest team have entered Yoon's residence
We're seeing visuals of the arrest team - all of them in black - crowding around the main entrance of the presidential residence, which has been fenced up.
We earlier said it was a 80-strong team, but local news site Yonhap is reporting nearly double those numbers. It says the arrest team comprises 120 police officers and 30 officials from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO).
Eighty of them are in the compound, while the rest are standing guard outside, they say.
We'll bring you more details as we get them.
Many of Yoon's supporters have for days been congregating outside his presidential residence, vowing to block his arrest, and this morning is no different.
Before the sun had even risen, scores of people holding South Korean flags and signs were at the gates, where they've been angrily chanting as officers inside advance towards Yoon's door.
Watch: Supporters of President Yoon gather outside presidential palace in Seoul
Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent
Although President Yoon has been suspended and stripped of his powers, he is still being protected by the presidential security service, as well as a military unit that is responsible for protecting the city of Seoul, including the presidential compound and residence.
The defence ministry says the arrest team has now moved past the military officers, but it seems the security team is still standing in their way.
There are questions over whether these officers should be allowed to block attempts by law enforcement officers who are carrying out a legal arrest warrant - and what powers the acting president Choi sang-mok has to get them to stand down.
South Korea's opposition party - which commands a parliamentary majority - has urged Yoon’s security personnel to cooperate with his arrest, according to Korean media reports.
We are hearing reports that Yoon's presidential security forces known as the PSS, are trying to block his arrest.
"Anyone who obstructs the execution of an arrest warrant will be punished on charges of obstruction of special official duties and complicity in insurrection," Democratic Party parliament floor representative Park Chan-dae warned.
Meanwhile, the party leader of Yoon’s People Power Party has asked police investigators to refrain from any "unreasonable attempts at arresting the sitting president".
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the 80-strong arrest team has made its way through the presidential compound and is now at the door of the residence building, where they are attempting entry.
The BBC hasn't been able to independently confirm this - but we're expecting updates as the day goes on.
Image source, ReutersThe arrest team has moved through a standoff with a military unit inside the presidential compound, local media is reporting.
The team now faces the president's security service, which has blocked previous attempts to raid Yoon's office and residence.
Police officers, Yoon's supporters and the media have all gathered outside the presidential residence this morning.
Tensions are simmering and protesters are fired up, chanting Yoon's name in support of the suspended president.
Image source, Getty ImagesYoon's supporters waving South Korean and US flags
Image source, Jake Kwon/BBCProtesters gather outside the presidential residence, as they did yesterday
Image source, ReutersInvestigators clad in black enter Yoon's official residence
The president's lawyer has released a statement vowing to legally challenge the arrest warrant, without elaborating.
The president's team has previously called the order "unlawful".
South Korean news agency Yonhap is reporting that the investigators attempting to arrest Yoon are in a standoff with what appears to be a military unit inside the compound.
The BBC has been unable to independently confirm this.
Jean Mackenzie
reporting from Seoul
Police have blocked the pavements leading to the president’s residence.
Dozens of police vans are parked up.
Lines of police officers have been walking up towards the address.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol, then a political novice, won the presidential election by the narrowest margin South Korea's democracy had ever seen.
But he soon found himself mired in scandal. Much of it centred around his wife Kim Keon Hee, who was accused of accepting a Dior handbag from a pastor.
After the opposition won the parliamentary election by a landslide last April, Yoon was relegated to a lame duck president, reduced to vetoing bills.
With political challenges pushing his back against the wall, Yoon went for the nuclear option: a martial law order.
But, as evidenced by the string of events that followed - culminating in the attempts to arrest him today - that move has turned out to be a serious miscalculation.
Jake Kwon
reporting from Seoul
A short time ago, about 20 officers in black strode to the compound.
The arrest attempt began at about 08:00 local time in Seoul (23:00 GMT).
Image source, Getty ImagesSouth Korea has been in political chaos since Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on 3 December.
Days and nights of protest culminated in the opposition-dominated parliament voting to impeach him on 14 December, on their second attempt to do so - they failed the previous week because they could not garner enough votes from Yoon's ruling People Power Party.
Yoon has been suspended from presidential duties since, but he has remained defiant. He has defended his decision to declare martial law and repeatedly ignored investigators' summonses for questioning over the past two weeks.
Earlier this week, a Seoul court issued a warrant to arrest him on charges of abusing his power and inciting an insurrection. Yoon's legal team had dismissed the warrant as "illegal and invalid".
Welcome to our live coverage of the attempt by South Korean investigators to arrest suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon was impeached by parliament over his short-lived martial law attempt on 3 December.
The country's Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) is investigating him for insurrection and officers have arrived at the presidential residence seeking to arrest the 64-year-old.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.