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| Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, attends a Supreme Council meeting at the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly in Suwon, Friday. Yonhap |
Lee blames prosecution after ex-chief of staff found dead
By Jung Min-ho
A former chief of staff to main opposition party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung was found dead Thursday. The apparent suicide is fueling speculation over the cause of the tragedy following the deaths of four other people close to Lee, who is the target of high-profile investigations into corruption allegations.
The news has drawn criticism and concerns from ruling party politicians, who are calling on the chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to come clean about all of the allegations facing him. Lee, however, attributed the latest death to "excessive" investigation by prosecutors.
Jeon Hyung-soo, 64, who served as Lee's chief of staff when he was the mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, was found dead at his home the city south of Seoul. Jeon is the fifth person, if confirmed, to commit suicide since investigations targeting Lee began in 2021.
Speaking to reporters, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, chairman of the People Power Party (PPP), questioned whether Lee is fit to serve in the post, saying he was "disturbed" by a series of similar incidents around the main opposition party chief.
"Regardless of the reasons, many of the people who had a relationship with Lee have died … The public will have a hard time understanding this," he said.
Rep. Sung Il-jong, the PPP's top policymaker, criticized Lee for refusing to take any political responsibility while hiding behind a lawmaker's legal immunity from arrest.
"Lee has not taken any moral or political responsibility even after the deaths of the people around him," he said. "What kind of person is he? … Lee keeps silent for his political goals."
In a six-page suicide note found at the scene, Jeon reportedly implored his former boss to "lay down" his political ambition, saying there should be no more sacrifices. The details of what is written there remain undisclosed as his family wants to keep the contents of the note private.
In a statement, prosecutors denied the accusations that their investigation may have been coercive. It said Jeon was questioned only once on Dec. 26 over the allegations surrounding corporate donations to football club Seongnam FC when Lee was mayor of the city.
Lee described Jeon as an "upright, diligent and dedicated" official, pinning the blame on the prosecution and the Yoon administration.
"The way the prosecution led by Yoon Suk Yeol conducts investigations is like a hunt. It picks a target, and the hunt never ends until the target is caught," he said at a meeting with party officials. "These tragic, innocent deaths should not be used as political tools."
Lee is also facing mounting criticism from within the DPK. There have been calls for Lee to take responsibility for the matter and resign from the party leader post.
Rep. Yoon Young-chan of the DPK noted that five people, who accused Lee or were investigated in relation to Lee, have killed themselves.
"Lee should take responsibility. That is the right thing to do," Yoon wrote on his Facebook, Friday. "(Jeon) worked for Lee over a decade. A series of deaths related to a certain city is shocking and incomprehensible."
On March 17, Lee is scheduled to attend the second hearing of his trial for violating the Public Official Election Act. He has been accused of making false statements during the last presidential election.
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