South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained on Wednesday after a massive law enforcement operation at the presidential compound that ended a weeks-long stand-off between his bodyguards and the country's anti-corruption agency.

South Korean authorities arrested Yoon Suk Yeol over insurrection allegations, with the embattled leader saying he agreed to comply with investigations to avoid "bloodshed", ending weeks of tense political standoff.

Yoon’s detention, after a tense standoff outside the presidential residence, marks the latest chapter in a bewildering series of events since his martial law decree.