Former South Korean President Commits Suicide

(Seoul, South Korea) Former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide this morning by throwing himself off a cliff. Roh fell about 100 feet and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

Later he was taken to Pusan National University Hospital where extraordinary measures failed to save him.

Around 0930 local time, he was pronounced dead from his injuries. He was 62.

"Former President Roh left his house at 5:45 a.m. and appears to have jumped off a rock at around 6:40 a.m., while hiking on the Mt. Bongha,'' Moon Jae-in, Roh's lawyer and former secretary, said in a nationally televised statement.

A police officer quoted the security guard as saying that his fall was "too abrupt'' for him to block it.

Right before jumping, Roh asked the accompanying guard to borrow a cigarette, police said, citing the guard as saying.

Reportedly, Roh and his family were under investigation for corruption and the stress was overwhelming. He wanted to end the suffering he has caused.

Roh detailed his thoughts in a suicide note (translated into English). His final request was to be cremated with just a small tombstone placed near his home.

Roh is survived by his wife and two children.



Cliff behind Roh's house
Companion post at The Jawa Report.