Police chief nominee Cho Hyun-oh on Monday apologized to the family of former President Roh Moo-hyun and the nation over his recent remarks that Roh's suicide in 2009 was related to the discovery of his borrowed-name bank accounts.
Cho, who was appointed about two weeks ago by President Lee Myung-bak to head the National Police Agency (NPA), offered the apology during the National Assembly's confirmation hearing, but refused to confirm whether Roh's borrowed-name accounts were actually discovered.
Cho has been under attack for the controversial remarks regarding the reason for the former president's suicide last year, which were made during his post as the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in March but were belatedly disclosed by a local broadcaster shortly after his nomination.
The 55-year-old Cho also drew fire for describing the bereaved families of the 46 sailors killed in the March sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan as "wailing like animals" in the same CD tape revealed by the broadcaster.
Cho also offered a public apology for making insulting remarks toward the families of the victims.
"I offer a sincere apology for my reckless remarks on the former President Roh Moo-hyun and the bereaved families of sailors killed in the sinking of Cheonan ship," Cho said at the confirmation hearing.
Cho's apology came as rival political parties have been wrangling over the existence of borrowed-name accounts under Roh, who committed suicide in May of last year amid a widening investigation into corruption allegations involving him and his family.
Last week, the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, a body representing the deceased president's family, filed a complaint against Cho, claiming he defamed the late president and his family by spreading false information with his remarks given in front of rank-and-file police officers.
During the hearing session, lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party persistently inquired into whether Cho's remarks on Roh's borrowed-name accounts were based on reliable sources.
Although Cho repeatedly apologized for his inappropriate remarks, he did not elaborate on whether any borrowed account existed under Roh's name.