After a hourslong standoff, South Korea's impeached president evades arrest.

On Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol resisted an arrest attempt by the country's anti-corruption agency after a tense standoff that lasted for several hours.

Nearly six hours, the presidential security service blocked investigators from entering the president's official residence, causing them to leave after concerns about their safety.

The suspect's failure to comply with the legal process elicited a "serious regret" from the agency.

Despite being impeached last month for his brief martial law declaration, Yoon has refused to cooperate with investigators' attempts to question him for weeks. He has remained in his residence since Dec. 12, when he made a televised statement to the nation, pledging to resist efforts to remove him from power.

On Dec. 3, Yoon declared martial law and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly due to his frustration that his policies were blocked by an opposition-dominated parliament.

Yoon was impeached by Parliament on Dec. 14, with a unanimous vote, for rebellion. Anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors have also launched separate investigations.

On Tuesday, a Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon's detention, but enforcing it is complicated due to his official residence.

On Thursday, Yoon's lawyers filed a challenge to the warrant and argued that it cannot be enforced at his residence because of a law that safeguards locations that may contain military secrets from unauthorized searches without the consent of the person in charge.

The office stated that it would discuss additional actions, but did not immediately confirm whether it would make another attempt to detain Yoon. The warrant for his detention is valid for one week.

If investigators can capture Yoon, they will probably request a court to authorize a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be freed after 48 hours.

On Friday, a large number of police officers surrounded Yoon's home, where a growing number of pro-Yoon protesters had gathered. Despite the freezing temperatures, they remained outside for several hours, waving South Korean and American flags and chanting in support of Yoon.

There were no immediate reports of major clashes outside the residence.

After Yoon's lawyers arrived at the presidential residence, the standoff between Yoon and the investigators and police officers escalated.

According to South Korea's YTN television, there were scuffles between investigators, police, and presidential security forces as they confronted each other in Yoon's residential building, but it is unclear whether investigators were able to enter the building successfully.

Since the National Assembly impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, his presidential powers have been suspended. Now, the Constitutional Court is deciding whether to uphold the impeachment and remove Yoon from office or reinstate him. The court needs at least six justices to vote in favor of removing him.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.