SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted Friday on allegations he and others tried to manipulate the investigation into a marine's drowning, in another criminal case against the ex-leader.
Yoon earlier this year was removed from office after being indicted on a rebellion charge related to his Dec. 3 martial law decree that plunged the country into political turmoil. After taking office in June, new President Lee Jae Myung appointed three independent counsels to investigate Yoon’s martial law imposition and other allegations involving him, his wife and associates.
On Friday, one of the independent counsels charged Yoon, his former defense minister and 10 other figures with abuse of power, alleging they tried to alter an investigation report on the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who died during a search-and-rescue operation for flood victims in 2023.
The marine corps' early investigation report held one of the corps' division commanders and seven other people responsible for Chae's death. But Yoon expressed fury over the commander's inclusion, prompting top presidential and Defense Ministry officials to pressure the marine corps to revise the report to exclude the commander, assistant special counsel Choung Min-young told a briefing.
Park Jung-hun, the head of the marine corps' investigation team, defied the pressure and sent the report to police but Yoon ordered officials to retrieve the report from police and dismiss Park and investigate him on charges of insubordination, Choung said.
Choung said Park's investigation was conducted in line with law and principle, but Yoon and other indicted “systemically” committed abuse of power that “undermined fairness and independence” of the marine corps' investigation team.
Yoon, who is in jail, had no immediate comment on the indictment. He earlier reportedly denied allegations on him on the case.
The trial over charges that he masterminded a rebellion is ongoing and a verdict may come early next year. A conviction on that charge carries the possible penalty of capital punishment or life imprisonment.
Earlier this month, Yoon was indicted on charges alleging he ordered drone flights over North Korea to deliberately create military tensions and justify martial law.
FILE - Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, on July 9, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount has gone hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging Netflix which reached a $72 billion takeover deal with the company just days ago.
Paramount said Monday that it is going straight to Warner Bros. shareholders with a bid worth about $74.4 billion, or $30 per share in cash. Paramount, unlike Netflix, is also offering to buy the cable assets of Warner Bros., and asking shareholders of the company to reject the Netflix bid.
It said its offer is worth about $18 billion more than the competing bid from Netflix, which it says is based on an “illusory prospective valuation" of those cable assets.
It is the same bid that Warner Brothers rejected in favor of the offer from Netflix in a merger that would alter the U.S. entertainment landscape.
Paramount criticized the Netflix offer, saying it “exposes WBD shareholders to a protracted multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process with an uncertain outcome along with a complex and volatile mix of equity and cash.”
Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to Warner Bros. Discovery over a 12 week period.
“We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry," Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. "We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theaters as a result of our proposed transaction,”
On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.
But President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.
The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal.
Paramount's tender offer is set to expire on Jan. 8, 2026, unless it's extended.
Shares of Warner Bros. and Paramount jumped between 5% and 6% at the opening bell Monday. Shares of Netflix edged lower.
The Warner Bros. water tower is seen at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Warner Bros. water tower is seen at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
