Investigators fail to arrest South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

The President vows to fight to the end as investigators and his supporters scuffle outside his residence

Police officers stand guard as supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gather near the presidential residence in Seoul on Friday. Bloomberg

South Korean anti-corruption investigators have failed to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after facing resistance from his security team and about 1,000 supporters gathered outside his residence on Friday.

Investigators arrived at Mr Yoon's residential compound with an arrest warrant over his attempt to impose martial law, in the latest political showdown between the suspended head of state and security officials.

Parliament impeached Mr Yoon after he declared martial law on December 3, and he was suspended from his duties on December 14. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who briefly stepped in as acting president, was also impeached. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is now the interim leader.

Mr Yoon is wanted for questioning in multiple investigations, including accusations of leading an insurrection – a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

“Execution of the arrest warrant was virtually impossible due to the continued standoff,” the investigation office said in a statement. “Future measures will be decided after a review. We express our deepest regret over the suspect’s refusal to comply with legal procedures.”

It scheduled a public briefing later on Friday.

A Seoul court issued a warrant for Mr Yoon's detention on Tuesday after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office in Seoul.

In his first public statement in weeks, Mr Yoon said he would “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces”.

Four hours after dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the gate of his residence to execute a warrant for Yoon’s detention, the dramatic scene appeared to have developed into a standoff.

A group of pro-Yoon protesters braved subfreezing temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting slogans in his support. Some shouted “Arrest Lee Jae-myung”, the opposition leader seen as a top contender to take power if Mr Yoon is removed from office.

The president’s lawyers described the warrant as “invalid” and “illegal” and said the presidential security force could arrest police trying to execute it.

Seok Dong-hyeon, one of several lawyers on Mr Yoon’s legal team, confirmed that the investigators arrived at the building but said it was unlikely that they would be able to detain the president on Friday. He said the agency’s efforts to detain Mr Yoon were “reckless” and showed an “outrageous discard for law”.

The standoff prompted the liberal opposition Democratic Party to call on Mr Choi to order the presidential security service to stand down.

Mr Choi must “remember that swiftly addressing the rebellion and preventing further chaos is your responsibility,” said Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker.

The warrant is valid for one week, and investigators may make another attempt to detain Mr Yoon if they are unable to do so on Friday.