Demonstrators supporting and opposing impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held rival protests near the Presidential residence on Thursday as he faces an unprecedented arrest over his short-lived martial law attempt.

One pro-Yoon protester said arresting him would be illegal, while an anti-Yoon demonstrator called on Yoon to quickly accept his arrest and step down “as soon as possible to bring an end to the current political turmoil.”

“We gathered here to protect our president. The other party, they try to arrest him, which is really illegal. So here, we’d like to show our citizen’s power. Now, (at this) time, all legal things are gone in Korea. So only we have (there is only us left left) to protect our country with our citizen’s power,” said one pro-Yoon protestor. 

A court on Tuesday approved a warrant for Yoon's arrest, which could potentially make him the first sitting President to be detained as part of investigations over allegations that he masterminded an insurrection by trying to impose martial law.

The corruption investigation office for high-ranking officials is leading a joint team of investigators that includes the police and prosecutors, and has until next Monday to execute the arrest warrant. 

It is unclear when and how the CIO will make the arrest, and whether the Presidential Security Service, which has blocked access to investigators with search warrants to Yoon's office and official residence before, will try to stop an arrest.