South Korean investigators attempt to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol

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South Korean investigators were seeking to arrest President Yoon Suk-yeol as part of an investigation into alleged treason and abuse of power after a failed attempt to impose martial law last month.

The Office of Corruption Investigation of High-ranking Officials said early Friday that it had begun executing arrest warrants. Yoon.

A group of officers from the office entered Yun’s residence in central Seoul, television footage showed, with about 3,000 police officers in the area.

If arrested, Yoon would be the first sitting South Korean president to be detained.

Yun ushered in an acute political crisis South Korea with failed attempts to impose martial law.

Parliament impeached him last month, but the move must be approved by the country’s constitutional court.

The independent anti-corruption body is expected to question Yun about a possible coup after he sent troops to the National Assembly in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from rejecting his short-lived martial law decree.

Yun sent a letter to hundreds of his supporters who gathered outside his residence on Wednesday.

“Country is in danger due to anti-state forces. I will fight till the end to save the nation together with you,” he said in the letter.

Under the South Korean constitution, the president is immune from criminal prosecution unless he faces charges of rebellion or treason. Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday appointed two judges to the court, filling two vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court.

The eight-seat court will hold a second hearing Friday on whether to remove Yun from office. The court has until June to reach a verdict, although this deadline could be extended. A minimum of six votes is needed to approve Yun’s impeachment. If he is removed from office, a presidential election should be held within 60 days.

Political unrest has weighed on South Korea the economywhich faces higher US tariffs during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. The government on Thursday revised down its growth forecast for this year to 1.8 percent from 2.2 percent and is considering creating an additional budget to boost sluggish domestic consumption.

Choi on Friday directed officials to take measures to stabilize financial markets “quickly and boldly” in the face of heightened volatility. He said he would continue to meet with high-ranking financial officials, including Bank of Korea Governor Ri Chang-yong, every week to monitor market conditions. Ri warned on Thursday of growing downside risks for the Korean economy and said the bank would be “flexible” with the pace of rate cuts in the face of “unprecedented” political and economic uncertainty.

South Korean stocks and currencies were among the worst performers in Asia last year, due to political turmoil, with the Kospi stock index down nearly 10 percent and trading at its lowest level since 2009. The country’s stock market opened slightly higher on Friday.