South Koreans were in shock yesterday over the apparent suicide of former president Roh Moo-hyun, with his successor describing the case as a national tragedy.
Roh, who was in office from 2003 until last year, was questioned last month as a suspect in a multimillion dollar corruption case.
He fell from a cliff near his retirement village of Bongha close to the southeast coast. An aide said he left a suicide note for family members.
“It is truly hard to believe what happened. It is a sad, tragic incident,” South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was quoted by his spokesman as saying.
Lee was told of the death while holding a summit with Czech President Vaclav Klaus. He canceled his remaining engagements for the day.
Lee told ministers to prepare Roh’s funeral “with respect and in line with the protocol for a former president,” the spokesman said.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso offered condolences.
“I was quite surprised,” Jiji Press quoted Aso as telling reporters after hearing about Roh’s death.
“I would like to offer my condolences and pray for the repose of his soul,” he said.
The allegations against Roh had tarnished his image while in office as a clean president who had been elected partly on pledges to fight corruption.
South Korean Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han said the graft case against Roh would be formally closed.
“I express deep condolences … and pray for the repose of the deceased,” he said.
Kim Dae-jung, Roh’s predecessor as president, expressed “great shock and sorrow,” an aide said.
Kim was the country’s best-known dissident during the days of army-backed rule, while Roh made a name as a human rights lawyer before turning to politics.
“I’ve lost my life-long companion, with whom I took part in struggles for democracy and shared 10 years of a democratic government,” Kim said.
“Allegations concerning his family members have been leaked to the press every day,” Kim said. “He was probably unable to bear the pressure and tensions any longer. My heart goes out to his family.”
Ordinary South Koreans also questioned whether prosecutors and the media may have been too tough.
Trinidad and Tobago declared a new state of emergency on Friday after authorities accused a criminal network operating in prisons across the country of plotting to kill key government officials and attack public institutions. It is the second state of emergency to be declared in the twin-island republic in a matter of months. In December last year, authorities took similar action, citing concerns about gang violence. That state of emergency lasted until mid-April. Police said that smuggled cellphones enabled those involved in the plot to exchange encrypted messages. Months of intelligence gathering led investigators to believe the targets included senior police officers,
FOREST SITE: A rescue helicopter spotted the burning fuselage of the plane in a forested area, with rescue personnel saying they saw no evidence of survivors A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed yesterday in a remote spot in Russia’s far eastern region of Amur, with no immediate signs of survivors, authorities said. The aircraft, a twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at about 1pm. A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 16km from Tynda. Videos published by Russian investigators showed what appeared to be columns of smoke billowing from the wreckage of the plane in a dense, forested area. Rescuers in
A disillusioned Japanese electorate feeling the economic pinch goes to the polls today, as a right-wing party promoting a “Japanese first” agenda gains popularity, with fears over foreigners becoming a major election issue. Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the Sanseito Party has widened its appeal ahead of today’s upper house vote — railing against immigration and dragging rhetoric that was once confined to Japan’s political fringes into the mainstream. Polls show the party might only secure 10 to 15 of the 125 seats up for grabs, but it is
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is to meet US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s status as a key Asian ally would secure a more favorable trade deal before the deadline on Friday next week. Marcos would be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term. Trump has already struck trade deals with two of Manila’s regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving tough bargains in trade talks even with close allies that Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China. “I expect our discussions to focus on security and defense, of course, but also
RSS