South Korea probe team issues Christmas Day summons for Yoon / Photo: JUNG YEON-JE - AFP
-
Swiss World Cup squad return home to heroes' welcome
-
Pogacar wins Tour de France 10th stage on Bastille Day
-
Too hot: Buttoned-up Tokyo officials ditch suits for 'cool' shorts
-
US Supreme Court justices defiant as threats hit home
-
Arsenal agree Trossard fee for Beskitas switch
-
Brighton sign Croatia defender Veskovic for record fee
-
France flaunts firepower, unity with allies in huge parade
-
US inflation cools in June before renewed Mideast fighting
-
Ticking time bomb? Europe's ageing population brings challenges
-
India spark collapse before Root leads England to 258 in 1st ODI
-
Oil gains on fresh attacks, dollar slides as inflation slows
-
Dua Lipa backs Albanian protests against Trump-linked resort
-
Fire ravages popular forest outside Paris
-
Dangote's mega oil project threatens fragile Kenyan ecosystem: Greenpeace
-
US consumer inflation cools in June on lower energy costs
-
Rose says there's still time to realise British Open dream
-
Israel says ready to move on pilot zones amid new Lebanon talks
-
Ukraine PM resigns in Zelensky-ordered reshuffle
-
Croatia ex-international Simic held in graft case: report
-
Glasner warns 'no button to press' for Forest success
-
SCANDIC TRADE & SNC SCANDIC COIN:
AI Meets Non-Custodial Trading
-
Swiss probe Google dropping search choice on Android phones
-
France and Spain clash in World Cup semi-final
-
MEXC Reports 7.1 Billion USDT in SpaceX Futures Volume as Q2 Closes the Gap to Wall Street
-
Knight wants England women to play more red-ball cricket after India loss
-
DR Congo health workers on Ebola front line threaten strike
-
Oil extends gains after fresh US strikes
-
Turn off addictive features on social media for children, say EU lawmakers
-
EU population to peak in 2029 before long-term decline
-
Bumrah returns for India as England bat in 1st ODI
-
Fire ravages historic forest outside Paris
-
US strikes Iran, vows to reimpose naval blockade
-
57 gored or bruised during Spain's San Fermin bull runs
-
Oil extends gains after fresh US strikes, stocks mostly rise
-
Wildfires advance in forest south of Paris
-
Families claim bodies as Bangkok fire toll rises to 30
-
Ukrainian men in Poland face legal limbo
-
Egg-free school meals scramble politics in India
-
Wildlife rescuers help birds survive Pakistan's hotter summers
-
US strikes Iran for third day, will reimpose blockade
-
Messi meets England at last with World Cup final place on the line
-
Italy's Cannone gets four-match ban for red card against All Blacks
-
Oil extends gains after latest US strikes, tech suffers more losses
-
Co-star says Sam Neill battled pneumonia before death
-
Young Australian men falling victim to online sexual extortion: regulator
-
Armenian apricots become geopolitical battleground with Russia
-
New era for Gibraltar as border controls with Spain set to end
-
Jay-Z pays tribute to NY hometown crowd and his 30-year legacy
-
England face might of Messi's Argentina in World Cup semi-final
-
Birthday boy Yamal stands by 'no fear' comment ahead of France clash
South Korea probe team issues Christmas Day summons for Yoon
Investigators probing suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his foiled martial law bid on Friday ordered him to appear before the country's corruption watchdog on Christmas Day -- after he snubbed a previous summons this week.
Conservative leader Yoon was stripped of his duties by parliament last weekend following his short-lived December 3 martial law declaration, which plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in decades.
Yoon faces impeachment and criminal charges of insurrection that could see him jailed for life, or even face the death penalty, over a drama that stunned democratic South Korea's allies around the world.
He is being investigated by prosecutors as well as a joint team of police, defence ministry and anti-corruption investigators.
"The Joint Investigation Headquarters has notified President Yoon Suk Yeol of a second summons request," the latter said in a statement Friday.
The hearing at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) is scheduled for 10:00 am (0100 GMT) on December 25. If Yoon shows up, he will become the first sitting South Korean president to appear before an investigative agency.
Yoon failed to attend a hearing he was summoned to on Wednesday and gave no reason for his absence.
Prosecutors earlier this week had ordered Yoon to appear for questioning or face possible arrest, but they have handed the case over to the CIO.
CIO chief Oh Dong-woon told parliament on Tuesday they were also "reviewing" whether to issue an arrest warrant.
Yoon has been suspended from his position, and the Constitutional Court on Monday began proceedings to determine whether to uphold his impeachment. It has around six months to rule on the matter.
The court has been requesting documents related to the martial law declaration, but they have now been returned undelivered three days in a row.
"The attempt to serve documents to the respondent, the president, failed. Meaning that they could not meet him," said a spokesperson for the court.
"We are reviewing other options," she added.
Former President Park Geun-hye was impeached under similar circumstances to Yoon, but she was investigated after the constitutional court removed her from power.
L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST
