A court in South Korea cleared the way for officials to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning on Tuesday, as the authorities investigated whether his declaration of martial law this month, which plunged the country into political crisis, amounted to an insurrection.

       The court order stops short of a formal arrest warrant. The warrant issued on Tuesday only allowed investigators to detain him for questioning for a limited period of time; they need a separate warrant from a court to formally arrest him. But it is a sign that officials have grown impatient with Mr. Yoon’s refusal to answer questions about his actions, and could lead to a potential arrest and indictment.

       It remained unclear how Mr. Yoon and his secret service bodyguards would react to an attempt to detain him for questioning. There was no immediate comment from Mr. Yoon or his lawyers.

       Mr. Yoon, who was impeached by parliament on Dec. 14, is the first sitting president of South Korea to face a criminal investigation.

       Mr. Yoon planned to ask the Constitutional Court, which is hearing his impeachment trial, to reject the validity of the detention warrant and would seek an injunction against it, said his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun.

       The opposition has accused Mr. Yoon ？of committing insurrection when he declared martial law on Dec. 3, and of sending troops to the National Assembly to try to block lawmakers from voting to overturn his move.

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