S Korean probe team issues Christmas Day summons for impeached Yoon

SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was suspended over his foiled martial law bid on Friday, has been ordered by the investigators probing him to appear before the country's corruption watchdog on Christmas Day — after he snubbed a previous summons this week.

Last weekend, conservative leader Yoon was stripped of his duties by parliament 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 10:00am (0100GMT) 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.