Roh's Suicide: Koreans Mourn, Predict Change

As Koreans continue to mourn for the death of President Roh, political analysts see a new era coming on its tails.
South Koreans continued mourning former President Roh on Sunday (May 24) in Seoul and other cities, as well as at his hometown Pongha, where his coffin has been placed at an altar site.




Global leaders sent condolences and South Korea's government on Sunday planned for the funeral of former President Roh who apparently jumped to his death after being hounded for weeks in a widening corruption scandal.




Politicians, religious people, ordinary citizens and village people gathered at Pongha, Roh's hometown, where his coffin has been placed at an altar site.




Many mourners were in tears when Roh's son and daughter paid homage to their father at the altar site.




Seoul's Yonhap News agency reported that many altars have been surrounded by riot police in case memorial gatherings by angry Roh supporters turn into anti-government rallies.

Local media said presidential aides met to discuss funeral arrangements for Roh, a self-taught lawyer who rose from rural poverty and won the presidency backed by a generation of students who hit the streets to fight for democracy in the 1980s.




A political scientist in the capital said Roh's death was an epoch-making case and a turning point in Korean politics.




[Prof. Moon Chung-in, Yonsei University]:
"Some people regard Roh's suicide as a political killing by those who have vested interests or a kind of martyrdom of South Korea's democratic forces. This is a very tragic and epoch-making political case."


Some supporters of the conservative Lee Myung-bak government have disgraced the two presidential terms ruled by Roh Moo-hyun and Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-jung as 10 years of stunted progress in Korean
history.




Supporter of Roh, Kim and opposition parties have been angry at the conservative and anti-North Korean attitude held by the Lee administration.

[Prof. Moon CHung-in, Yonsei University]:
"It will be a huge political burden to the Lee administration. And it will brake the prosecutors' omnipotent power, which they have been abusing. It will also provide a turning point to the democratic movement, including the opposition Democratic Party, which hasn't been unified."

The government is planning the funeral for Roh who apparently jumped to his death after being hounded for weeks in a widening corruption scandal.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NTD
• Suicide
• South Korea
• President Roh
• Seoul
• Pongha
• Politics

[KYUNGILNAM]

dae-jung kim and mu-hyun noh have been criticized for helping north korea in developing atomic bomb. also they were leftist dictators. they suppressed korean major newspapers.

[ReadyFreddie2009]

Dominican Republic's former president , did suicide in 1984, this reminds me of that incident. Very similar... perhaps.

[WingedCity01]

Shut up fkin 2mb's keyboard warriors without soul

[fourohone1]

Just say "Noh" XD what a disgrace...

[docjmoon]

미친놈. 네 부모랑 자식이 저주받길 기도하마!

[kleinbittersdorf]

Fucking Iidot who suicided..a kinda moron and bunch of idiots following the criminal..... I Do agree Rho sucks ass...

[tokee1234567]

his whole family and his friends were being threatened. even after his death, his favorite restaurants are threatened by the 2MB's goons.. what would you do if your friends were oppressed by your enemy? there are also controversies. the bodyguard that was with him keeps lying and the cctv videos were practically "fixed" by the government. there is a chance that it's not suicide

[RohMooHyunSucksCocks]

If Roh were innocent, he would not have committed suicide. He knew that prison was awaiting him. He just wanted to protect his family, and the bribery money they have taken to the USA.

Roh gave Kim Jong-Il money to build the atomic bomb that now threatens all Koreans. He is a traitor.

What kind of example does Roh set for his young supporters by committing suicide? He's a disgrace.

[blee901119]

It's officially spelled "Roh", but the Korean pronunciation is closer to "Noh".