Minor opposition lawmaker commits suicide amid illegal funding probe
- 6 years ago
'불법자금 의혹' 노회찬 아파트서 투신 사망
A respected opposition lawmaker took his own life this morning.
There were allegations that he accepted illegal political funding.
In an apparent suicide note he wrote... that he did accept money... but it had nothing to do with any illicit political favors.
He may have chosen this path for various reasons including... clearing his party's reputation.
Kim Min-ji has our top story..
Roh Hoe-chan, a three-term lawmaker with the minor opposition Justice Party, jumped to his death Monday.
His body was found near an apartment complex by a security guard at around 9:40 in the morning.
Police later found his jacket on the staircase between the building's 17th and 18th floors -- where his mother and brother were living -- and inside was his wallet, business cards and an apparent suicide note.
It's been a shock to both the ruling and opposition parties -- especially given that Roh had been known for his clean image.
He was an iconic figure in the labor movement and in progressive politics,... and was also popular for his pithy remarks.
His image was tainted, however,... after allegations surfaced... that he received illegal political funds worth 50 million won,... or over 44-thousand U.S. dollars.
The lawmaker had continously denied the allegations... and said he would undergo questioning sincerely if he was summoned.
In the suicide note,... he said that he had accepted funds worth some 35-thousand dollars in total on two occasions,... but claimed there were no special favors or any promises in return.
He said he had been foolish and accepted responsibility for not having gone through the official procedures for receiving political contributions.
And, he said, though his time ends here, the Justice Party must go on.
The allegations came to light amid an investigation into an online opinion rigging scandal... involving a blogger, known as Druking, who is on trial for using illegal hacking programs to manipulate online comments on political news articles... to sway public opinion and win personal favors.
As part of the probe,... the accounts of an organization run by Druking were tracked down and it was found that money had been transferred to Roh in 2016.
A special prosecution team looking into the case said they have evidence that the funds were delivered to Roh by an associate of Druking's.
The case was investigated in back in 2016,... with no charges filed -- but the ongoing probe revealed that Druking's associate had submitted fabricated evidence to investigators at the time.
The Justice Party said it regrets that the special probe has had such devastating consequences... when the initial point of the investigation was not Roh's finances but the manipulation scheme.
The independent counsel leading the probe, Huh Ik-bum, expressed sorrow in a televised briefing,... sending words of condolences to the lawmaker and his family.
Roh's funeral will take place on Friday.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
A respected opposition lawmaker took his own life this morning.
There were allegations that he accepted illegal political funding.
In an apparent suicide note he wrote... that he did accept money... but it had nothing to do with any illicit political favors.
He may have chosen this path for various reasons including... clearing his party's reputation.
Kim Min-ji has our top story..
Roh Hoe-chan, a three-term lawmaker with the minor opposition Justice Party, jumped to his death Monday.
His body was found near an apartment complex by a security guard at around 9:40 in the morning.
Police later found his jacket on the staircase between the building's 17th and 18th floors -- where his mother and brother were living -- and inside was his wallet, business cards and an apparent suicide note.
It's been a shock to both the ruling and opposition parties -- especially given that Roh had been known for his clean image.
He was an iconic figure in the labor movement and in progressive politics,... and was also popular for his pithy remarks.
His image was tainted, however,... after allegations surfaced... that he received illegal political funds worth 50 million won,... or over 44-thousand U.S. dollars.
The lawmaker had continously denied the allegations... and said he would undergo questioning sincerely if he was summoned.
In the suicide note,... he said that he had accepted funds worth some 35-thousand dollars in total on two occasions,... but claimed there were no special favors or any promises in return.
He said he had been foolish and accepted responsibility for not having gone through the official procedures for receiving political contributions.
And, he said, though his time ends here, the Justice Party must go on.
The allegations came to light amid an investigation into an online opinion rigging scandal... involving a blogger, known as Druking, who is on trial for using illegal hacking programs to manipulate online comments on political news articles... to sway public opinion and win personal favors.
As part of the probe,... the accounts of an organization run by Druking were tracked down and it was found that money had been transferred to Roh in 2016.
A special prosecution team looking into the case said they have evidence that the funds were delivered to Roh by an associate of Druking's.
The case was investigated in back in 2016,... with no charges filed -- but the ongoing probe revealed that Druking's associate had submitted fabricated evidence to investigators at the time.
The Justice Party said it regrets that the special probe has had such devastating consequences... when the initial point of the investigation was not Roh's finances but the manipulation scheme.
The independent counsel leading the probe, Huh Ik-bum, expressed sorrow in a televised briefing,... sending words of condolences to the lawmaker and his family.
Roh's funeral will take place on Friday.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.