SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean police said Wednesday that security guards were blocking a raid on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s offices to investigate his brief imposition of martial law.

Yoon is already banned from foreign travel as part of an “insurrection” probe into his inner circle over the dramatic events of 3 to 4 December that stunned South Korea’s allies.

Police said earlier that a Special Investigation Team “has conducted a raid” on the presidential office, on different police agencies and on the National Assembly Security Service.

But later a spokesperson said that investigators had “gained access to its civil services office. However, we are currently unable to enter the main building due to access restrictions imposed by the presidential security guards.”

The president’s office was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

Prison authorities, meanwhile, said that former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun tried to kill himself shortly before his formal arrest late Tuesday.

Kim, who is accused of suggesting to Yoon to impose martial law, was first detained on Sunday, and later formally arrested on charges of “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” and “abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights.”