Posted on 05/22/2009 6:47:43 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Link to Japanese story. Breaking initially from South Korean news organization Yonhap about 30 minutes ago Said former President died in a "mountain climbing" accident. Also speculating suicide.
This was the architect of the "Sunshine Policy" of appeasement toward North Korea. Good friend of Clintons. BREAKING
To TLR and all S. Korea/ N. Korea FR thread enthusiasts.....
I feel badly for his family. Other than that, I see no great loss!
Roh himself had already been in for questionning over corruption.
Rut...Roh.
Typical Clinton pol.
Former S Korea President Roh Left Suicide Note: Yonhap
Last update: 5/22/2009 9:54:29 PM
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
May 22, 2009 21:41 ET (01:41 GMT)
An honorable way of handing shame.
I AM here What happen was accident AIT
Question is Hillary in South Korea right now we didn’t know
This was the architect of the "Sunshine Policy" of appeasement toward North Korea. Good friend of Clintons.This wouldn't have happened if Israel had withdrawn to it's pre-1967 borders.
bump
It sure sounds like suicide to me.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE54M04820090523
ping
Report of suicide note found.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2009/05/23/51/0301000000AEN20090523002700315F.HTML
Thanks.
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) — Former President Roh Moo-hyun died after falling from a mountainside behind his residence early Saturday morning and left behind a brief suicide note, his lawyer said.
Moon Jae-in
The Pusan National University Hospital, where the former president was rushed to after his fall, announced that Roh arrived at its emergency room at 8:13 a.m. and died at 9:30 a.m. from external head injuries.
Roh had been living in Bonghwa Village, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
“Roh left his home at 5:45 a.m. to go hiking. He appears to have jumped from a mountain rock at 6:40 a.m. He was accompanied by a bodyguard at that time,” said Moon Jae-in, who had served as presidential chief of staff during the Roh presidency.
“He left behind a brief suicide note,” Moon told reporters at a hospital news conference.
Roh, who served as South Korea's president from 2003 to 2008, has been under investigation over allegations that he and his family received at least US$6 million in bribes from a corrupt businessman while in office.
Roh, 62, and his wife, Kwon Yang-sook, were summoned by prosecutors last month to face grueling questioning over the bribery allegations. Prosecutors had said they would soon decide whether to seek an arrest warrant for the former president.
Paek Seung-wan, chief of Pusan National University Hospital, said in the same news conference that Roh died due to a head injury.
“At the time of his arrival at the hospital at 8:23 a.m., he was unconscious and couldn't breathe on his own. A laceration measuring 11 centimeters was found on the front part of his head. Doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation but suspended it at 8:30 a.m. as he failed to recover,” said Paek.
“A brain contusion was also found, but head injury was confirmed as the direct cause of his death. In addition, fractures were found, including in the ribs and pelvis.”
If only the US politicians would follow suit!
At least he did it the Asian Way, i.e. went to a relatively isolated place and took only his own life, instead of like in the USA and Europe, dresssing up in a frikkin Santa Claus outfit and spraying gunfire on folks before torching a Christmas Party with a homemade flamethrowing unit, or leaving some scorching video behind and then offing anyone within eyesight of his AK-47 or sidearms in some supermarket or mall.
Besides, about a week ago, another potential bombshell broke: "Sea Story Scandal." "Sea Story" (Bada Iyagi) is on-line gambling program adapted from Japanese version, which was widespread during his administration. There have been rife allegation that Roh's close crony owns the whole enterprise and the huge proceed from the operation was collected for Roh's political warchest for future operation. He was trying to establish himself as a serious political player even after his presidency. His dream was to carve a political base in his home province, which is generally conservative and not keen on his band of leftwing activists. Now his dream died along with him. Political future of many of his associates probably died with him. He tries to establish a base equal to Kim Dae-jung, his predecessor. Did not work.
However, to his supporters, his faults and damage to the country matter little. They lived vicariously through him. He was a protagonist in the drama of their own creation. A kind of real life fantasy unlike TV drama or movies. They identified with him. He was more of a celebrith than real hero. Their support is blind and unconditional. To these people, he is them and they are him. A celebrity worship carried to the extreme. Beginning in 90's, celebrity worship culture took root in S. Korea. It is not uncommon to see groupies for rival celebrities duke it out on Internet. Such behavior carried itself to political arena more or less intentionally. The political left appropriated it and marketed their own celebrity called "Roh Moo-hyun." Now he became another troubled ex-celebrity who got carried away and bit the dust. Overall, he was in over his head by becoming a president. He was a garden variety back bench rebel politician, who scored big in a freak accident. I hope political bubble of the past 10 years in S. Korea would deflate with this episode. We will see. For the immediate future, there will be some political turmoil, because his death will be used to rally the left, and his fanatical fan group, Nosamo, will certainly make a lot of noise. They will paint him as a political martyr again. Martyr ploy is frequently the effective weapon in S. Korean left's arsenal over the years. However, since his misdeeds are laid out this time, it would be difficult to convince those outside his immediate support group.
Roh's Daughter Commands Fine View of Manhattan
Former president Roh Moo-hyun's daughter Jeong-yeon bought an apartment in Hudson Club, an upscale complex in West New York, New Jersey. The complex commands a view of the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River.
The New Jersey area across from Manhattan, including Edgewater, West New York and Weehawken has many upscale apartment complexes because of the fine views. The building where Roh's daughter bought a home is rated top in Hudson Club. Her home is on the fourth and top floor of the building, which commands a view of Empire State Building. The apartment cost more than US$1.6 million but the price has dropped a little and is now worth $1.33 million.
The living room of a unit in the upscale apartment complex where Roh Moo-hyun's daughter bought a home. /Courtesy of hudsonclubnj.com
The complex was built in 2002. It was renovated in November 2005, and homes were sold to the general public starting 2006. The money was transferred to a Korean-American estate agent whom Roh's daughter knew well in September 2007.
Hudson Club refused to say who lives in the apartment in question. When asked if there are many Korean Americans among apartment owners, an executive said, "There is a mixed group of residents living here."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.