The man central to blocking investigators from arresting South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has come under the spotlight himself in the political crisis sparked by Yoon's brief declaration of martial law last month.

South Korean investigators have suspended efforts to enforce an arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol on January 3 after a standoff took place between investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and around 200 soldiers and members of the presidential security outside Yoon’s residence.