YONHAP NEWS

Police conclude Roh's death was suicide

   SEOUL, June 5 (Yonhap) -- Police concluded Friday that former President Roh Moo-hyun took his own life by jumping off a mountain cliff near his home in the south of the country, wrapping up its investigation into the death of the former leader.

   "We have terminated our investigation after concluding that former President Roh Moo-hyun died after jumping from a 45-meter cliff, known as Owl's Rock on Mount Bonhwa," police in South Gyeongsang Province said.

   Roh, who served as president from 2003-2008, died on May 23 at the age of 62 amid a corruption probe involving the former leader and his family.

   A note was found on his home computer that indicated the former president had decided to end his own life, but an ensuing investigation revealed discrepancies in some of the details surrounding his death. His guard, the only person who accompanied Roh to the mountain, changed his account of the moments leading up to the late leader's death several times.

   Police said Roh had sent the guard on an errand and was alone when he jumped from the cliff.

   "Former President Roh jumped off the cliff between 6:14 and 6:17 (in the morning) while his guard was sent to the temple on an errand, and he was found below (Owl's) rock around 6:51," Lee Noh-gu, an investigator with the provincial police, said.

   Authorities said Roh's family did not object to the outcome of the probe.

   The guard failed to provide the former president with a full escort at all times as required, but he will not be prosecuted because it was not intentional, the police said.

   The guard, dispatched from the Presidential Security Service, later offered to resign along with his immediate superior at Bongha Village, his office in Seoul said.

   "The Security Service plans to launch an investigation into possible misconduct committed by agents as the police investigation came to an end," the office said.

   Roh's death prompted strong public criticism against the government as many of his supporters claim the former leader was driven to suicide by what they called a politically motivated probe.

   The former president was summoned in late April for questioning over allegations that his wife and son had received millions of dollars from a businessman.

   Prosecutor General Lim Chae-jin stepped down earlier Friday, taking responsibility for the criticism following Roh's death. He gave a public apology on Thursday.

   bdk@yna.co.kr
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