Yoon was impeached for declaring martial law on Dec. 3 in what some authorities have alleged amounted to an attempted rebellion, and law enforcement had been looking to bring him in for questioning.

The authorities detained Yoon at the presidential compound on Wednesday morning local time, several hours after hundreds of law enforcement officers entered the area in the anti-corruption agency’s second attempt to detain him.

In a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of the Corruption Investigation Office, Yoon complained that the “rule of law has completely collapsed in this country.” 

The impeached president’s lawyers said he would voluntarily appear for questioning in order to avoid his detainment, but the agency declined.

Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok urged both sides to avoid violence in a statement released the same day. “If any unfortunate incidents occur, I will hold those responsible accountable with utmost severity,” Choi said in a statement.

“I have repeatedly stressed this point” and urged all parties involved to exercise “prudent judgment and responsible actions” during the law enforcement process, he added.

Yoon had been protected by his presidential security team in Seoul since the corruption agency’s initial efforts on Jan. 3 to arrest him, which led to a fruitless standoff. He said he would “fight to the end” against the efforts to oust him as president.

Now that Yoon has been apprehended, investigators will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. If not granted, Yoon will be released after 48 hours.

The Constitutional Court has been deliberating on whether to reinstate Yoon or remove him from office. The first hearing was on Tuesday but lasted only a short time because of Yoon’s absence. The next hearing is on Thursday, and a trial will proceed with or without him.