S. Korea's Ex-President Roh Moo-hyun Remembered (1)

5/23/2009 Seoul Korea: Former President Roh Moo-hyun jumped to his death off a mountainside near his home on Saturday, sending shockwaves throughout the nation.


Roh, 62, was under investigation over allegations that his family received more than $6 million from a businessman. Roh was president from 2003-2008.


Roh left behind a suicide note to his family saying, It has been too hard.


Roh suffered fatal head injuries after falling about 30 meters from a cliff near his home in Gimhae, some 400 kilometers south of Seoul.


"Former President Roh left his house at 5:45 a.m. and while hiking on Mount Bonghwa, appears to have jumped off a rock at around 6:40 a.m., former top secretary Moon Jae-in told reporters at Pusan National University Hospital.


Roh was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m., he said.


The former leader, who was hailed for his anti-corruption efforts, apologized last month after admitting that his wife received money from his financial backer Park Yeon-cha while he was in office.


His son, the husband of his niece and his key aides were under investigation in the scandal.


The incident tarnished his image a clean leader and damaged ethical credentials of his liberal political circles.


Prosecutors said they halted the probe due to his death.


In the afternoon, his body was moved to his home, where the memorial altar was set up.


Roh wrote a short suicide note on his computer before leaving home.


I have caused too much difficulty for people. The rest of my life would only be a burden for others, he wrote in the note unveiled by police.


He asked to be cremated and that a small tombstone be set up in his hometown.


Don't be too sad. Isn't life and death all part of nature? Don't be sorry. Don't blame anybody. It is destiny, the note said.


President Lee Myung-bak expressed shock and sorrow, describing his death as a national tragedy.


"It is hard to believe, too sorrow and bitter," Lee was quoted as saying by his spokesman.


He cleared his schedule after his summit with visiting Czech President Vaclav Klaus and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.


The news shocked the nation, with citizens mourning Roh's death and some expressing anger toward the prosecution for an excessive investigation that humiliated him.


"We feel shock and sorrow beyond words," opposition Democratic Party spokesman Kim Yoo-jung said.


"The people and history will know well by whom, by what, and by what reason the former president was driven to the tragic end of his life."


Prime Minister Han Seung-soo convened an emergency meeting of government ministers.


The government will carry out a national funeral if his family agrees, officials said.

By Hwang Jang-jin
(jjhwang@heraldm.com)
2009.05.23

Honors for this video:
#47 - Most Viewed (5/24/09) - News & Politics - South Korea
#42 - Most Viewed (5/24/09) - News & Politics - South Korea
#38 - Most Viewed (5/24/09) - News & Politics - South Korea

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• SouthKorea
• RohMoo-hyun
• 노무현대통령
• 한국
• 남한
• HonoluluNews
• Seoul
• Korea
• 서울
• 코리아
• 청산기자
• 盧武鉉・韓国前大統領死亡
• ノ・ムヒョン韓国前大統領自殺
• 한국역사인물韓國歷史人物

[crocreek]

Yea?

Have they expressed any guilty feeling toward public...I don't think so..

They are keep changing their stories..

I can tell u all the stories if u want to hear.

Money or Killing or girl or baby thing whatever..u can name it.

One more thing..we r not talikg abt ordinary people..we r talking abt public matter in here.

[hoochee005]

The only way you can tell whether a person has never had a guilty feeling is to be that person. Just because a person never admits guilt does not mean the person has never felt guilt. I think that most people have felt guilt or shame at some point in life. Those who have not are called psychopaths or sociopaths.

[crocreek]

Nope!

suicide is wrong thing to do ..but It is better than ' NEVER have guilty feeling at all' like some other leaders...U know..kill thousand people or steal a few billion dollars..

The issue is not 'suide' in here but ' guilt feeling'.

[hoochee005]

The point about Roh is not that he took the most bribes. Actually, he probably took fewer bribes than other politicians. However, he always had such a clean image with the voters. And now we see he was a hypocrite.

Actually, I love and care about Korea very much, so the bribe issue is not the key issue. Rather, I love and care about the 1000s of South Koreans who were abducted by North Korea. Roh did nothing for these people. He is too worried about offending Kim Jong Il.

[hoochee005]

So why does Roh have a guilty feeling?

Is suicide the right example to set for his young Internet supporters?

[crocreek]

Is Mr.Lee ur holy leader?

He won't suicide forever even if he has got billions dollars of black money in his pocket...because he is not innocent person like other ex-presidents.

Use ur brain...Man..

Nobody will suicide if he or she has got dirty mind.

Acually..they will kill other people.

They will live for a long time because they don't have guilty feeling.

[crocreek]

Wow...

U know very well abt KOREA..

Where r u living now?  USA?

U only looking at internet and u want to comment abt Mr.Roh.....

I didn't like Mr.Roh when he was a leader of Korea because of different political angles but I lo like his personality and his passion for Korea.

U r keep talking abt his money...u can tell me which president were that clean before....

Ur Mr.Lee..he has abt billions dollars in his pocket..where the hell that money came from?

[hoochee005]

Roh is supposed to be your holy leader, and that is why you love him. He defended democracy. And now you find out he is just a crook like all the other politicians. But still you defend him, because you cannot admit that your messiah was human.

Roh committed suicide. Would an innocent person do that? It is an admission of guilt, and now the investigation is closed.

Also, he admitted guilt on his website on April 19.

[hoochee005]

Roh is a coward. He knew he would be sent to prison for his crimes, so he killed himself.

What kind of example is he setting for Korea's youth?

Roh admitted his guilt on his website on April 19.

Roh takes bribes to buy US$1.6M apartment with view of New York City for his daughters.

If he hates the USA so much, why does he take money from Korea to the USA? Is that good for Korea? He should invest the money in Korea.

He is a liar, hypocrite, crook.

[hoochee005]

You want me to shut up? Is that what you call "human rights"? LOL!