Minor opposition lawmaker commits suicide amid illegal funding probe
- 6 years ago
South Korea is mourning the death of a long-respected opposition lawmaker who took his own life on Monday.
There were allegations Roh Hoe-chan had accepted illegal funding.
In an apparent suicide note Roh... wrote... that he did accept money -- less than 50-thousand U.S. dollars... but it had nothing to do with any illicit political favors.
For more on the suicide that shocked a nation,... Kim Min-ji reports.
Roh Hoe-chan,... a three-term lawmaker with the minor opposition Justice Party... who was mired in a bribery scandal,... jumped to his death Monday.
His body was found near an apartment building where his mother and brother live... at around 9:40 in the morning.
Police later found his jacket in a stairwell, and inside were his wallet and three suicide notes.
Roh's death has sent a shock through Korean politics... especially given his clean image.
He was an icon of the labor movement and of progressive politics,... and was also popular for his pithy remarks.
His image was tainted, however,... by allegations that he received illegal political funds worth over 44-thousand U.S. dollars... from a group led by a blogger known as "Druking."
The lawmaker had denied the allegations... and said he would respond to questioning sincerely if summoned.
Two of the suicide notes were to his family and have not been released.
In the note for his party, though, he said he had accepted funds worth some 35-thousand dollars in total on two occasions in 2016,... but claimed there were no special favors or any promises in return.
A party spokesperson read out the note, in which Roh said he had been foolish for not going through the official procedures for receiving political contributions.
"Who can I blame? It was a foolish decision and a shameful error in judgement. I must take responsibility for it. Although my time ends here, I hope the party will go on with confidence. I apologize to the Korean people. It's all my fault, so please allow me to accept this punishment, and please continue to support the Justice Party."
The bribery allegations were brought to light amid an investigation into the blogger, Druking, who is on trial for allegedly using hacking software to manipulate online comments on political news articles... to sway public opinion and win personal favors.
It was found that money had been transferred to Roh from accounts linked to the blogger.
The case is currently being looked at by a special prosecutor team, following a police investigation.
The Justice Party said it regrets that the probe has led to such devastating consequences... when its original point was not Roh's finances but the manipulation scheme.
The independent counsel leading the probe, Huh Ik-bum, expressed sorrow in a televised briefing,... and sent words of condolences to the lawmaker and his family.
Roh's funeral will take place on Friday.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
There were allegations Roh Hoe-chan had accepted illegal funding.
In an apparent suicide note Roh... wrote... that he did accept money -- less than 50-thousand U.S. dollars... but it had nothing to do with any illicit political favors.
For more on the suicide that shocked a nation,... Kim Min-ji reports.
Roh Hoe-chan,... a three-term lawmaker with the minor opposition Justice Party... who was mired in a bribery scandal,... jumped to his death Monday.
His body was found near an apartment building where his mother and brother live... at around 9:40 in the morning.
Police later found his jacket in a stairwell, and inside were his wallet and three suicide notes.
Roh's death has sent a shock through Korean politics... especially given his clean image.
He was an icon of the labor movement and of progressive politics,... and was also popular for his pithy remarks.
His image was tainted, however,... by allegations that he received illegal political funds worth over 44-thousand U.S. dollars... from a group led by a blogger known as "Druking."
The lawmaker had denied the allegations... and said he would respond to questioning sincerely if summoned.
Two of the suicide notes were to his family and have not been released.
In the note for his party, though, he said he had accepted funds worth some 35-thousand dollars in total on two occasions in 2016,... but claimed there were no special favors or any promises in return.
A party spokesperson read out the note, in which Roh said he had been foolish for not going through the official procedures for receiving political contributions.
"Who can I blame? It was a foolish decision and a shameful error in judgement. I must take responsibility for it. Although my time ends here, I hope the party will go on with confidence. I apologize to the Korean people. It's all my fault, so please allow me to accept this punishment, and please continue to support the Justice Party."
The bribery allegations were brought to light amid an investigation into the blogger, Druking, who is on trial for allegedly using hacking software to manipulate online comments on political news articles... to sway public opinion and win personal favors.
It was found that money had been transferred to Roh from accounts linked to the blogger.
The case is currently being looked at by a special prosecutor team, following a police investigation.
The Justice Party said it regrets that the probe has led to such devastating consequences... when its original point was not Roh's finances but the manipulation scheme.
The independent counsel leading the probe, Huh Ik-bum, expressed sorrow in a televised briefing,... and sent words of condolences to the lawmaker and his family.
Roh's funeral will take place on Friday.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.