Former First Lady Stays Out of Public View
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
In the suicide note the late former President Roh Moo-hyun said, ``Don't feel sorry. Don't blame anyone.'' Those few words are seen as among his last to his wife and two children, who have been implicated in the bribery scandal that apparently led him to take his own life.
His wife Kwon Yang-sook, who was Roh's companion for 36 years, was passed out for hours after the confirmation of her husband's death at Pusan National University Hospital. After regaining consciousness, she returned to her home in Bongha Village. She did not show up to receive mourners at Roh's memorial altar until Sunday.
After marrying the former President in 1973 despite opposition from both parents, Kwon helped her husband pass the state-run exam for judiciary officials. But she had to survive on a small income because then-lawyer Roh defended students and civic activists accused of involvement in the pro-democracy movements during the dictatorial regimes.
The couple's hard life appeared to end in 2002 when Roh became the President. But after retirement ― and most intensely during his last days ― the family became mired in a bribery scandal surrounding his supporter Park Yeon-cha, the CEO of shoemaker Taekwang.
Park gave $1 million to the family, with Roh's camp claiming that Kwon borrowed it to repay a debt and the former President learned about it only recently. Kwon was summoned in April, becoming the second former first lady to face prosecution questioning.
When Roh himself left home on April 30 for questioning in Seoul, Kwon sobbed, saying she was to blame and he did not know about it.
Roh's son, Geon-ho, and daughter, Jeong-yeon, also became involved and were summoned.
Geon-ho allegedly received $5 million from Park through his relative early last year and used it to set up companies and make investments. It was also alleged that Kwon used part of the $1 million to pay Geon-ho's overseas study expenses and buy him a house in the United States.
It was alleged that Jeong-yeon was involved in the house purchase, so she was questioned over the allegation.
Roh's elder brother, Geon-pyeong, who was jailed in another bribery scandal, was temporarily released Saturday to attend Roh's funeral.
Prosecutors said that the elder Roh, after hearing of his brother's death, began crying without saying a word.
Geon-pyeong was recently sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay 570 million won in fines on charges of lobbying former Nonghyup head Chung Dae-kun to facilitate its acquisition of Sejong Securities in exchange for about 3 billion won in bribes from Sejong executives.