Roh Moo-hyun suicide probe

A top aide told to former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun says he appears to have committed suicide.

Moon Jae-in told reporters Mr. Roh left a suicide note before he hiked up a mountain near his home Saturday morning and jumped to his death.

Police say Mr. Roh suffered severe head injuries in the fall and died after being transported from his home town of Gimhae to a hospital in Busan in the southern part of the country.

Authorities say they are investigating the circumstances behind the death.

Mr. Roh, who was 63 years old, served as president from 2003 to 2008 and was elected on a platform of anti-corruption.

Earlier this month, he was questioned about allegations that he took more than $6 million in bribes from a businessman while in office. He admitted that his wife took an unspecified amount of money as a loan to pay off debts, but denied that he was aware of it in advance.

Mr. Roh rose to prominence as a human rights lawyer, defending students accused of treason during South Korea's military rule in the 1980s.

He built a reputation for challenging the authority of then-military dictator Chun Doo-hwan. In 1987, he was arrested and suspended from his law practice on charges of supporting a strike by workers at a shipyard.

Mr. Roh was the youngest son of a peasant family from the southeastern part of the country. He had no formal education beyond high school and studied law on his own.

Category:

News & Politics

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• Korea

[kwonneon]

@hoochee002 /jot bing shin suck the rats ball

[Kleeeenex1]

i dont get why he would take bribes , i mean, hes the president after all , does he need anything more? he has respect, money , and power. i still dont get it ..

[melonbarmonster]

The fucker killed himself so to protect his family from going to jail for taking bribes and to avoid being tried for bribery.

[melonbarmonster]

LOL. There is no investigation. They guy wrote a will and then killed himself to avoid being prosecuted and to shield his family from all the money they took. Roh is a coward scumbag and corrupt president who shamed Korea.

[color6310]

Questions are arising in Korea whether he took his life himself or he was killed by his political enemies. His guard, who asserts that he witnessed his falling, is chaning his statements. There are A lot of mystery regarding his falling. Please do not take the media contents without question. It is not "apparent suicide."

[TheBanabbaTea]

I'm suprised he did sucicde. I thought he was a good person. How sad...

[hoochee002]

Roh Moo Hyun? Useless evil traitor of the Korean people, communist agent of Kim Jung-Il. Rot in hell, you corrupt communist pig.

[by2004]

that's what a lot of koreans think you stupid dumbass. may you be an overseas korean old fart? supporter or not you gotta believe that he did take the easy way out. all the other ex cronies did their time. why should roh have ended it that way? is it fair to his supporters? his family and friends? the country? swallow your pride. i ain't attacking him cus he's korean and you shouldn't, if you are a gyopo, be offended. but then again koreans are hot blooded.

[33kyr33]

watch your mouth!

[by2004]

He's a hypoocrite. He knew the probe would end if he killed himself. he didn't want to face the music. he took the easy way out. smart but a fool. that's carp. he is no different from all the crony ex korean presidents.