Rep. Roh Hoe-chan(62 years old), floor leader of the minor left-leaning opposition Justice Party who has long been admired as 'an icon of progressive politics' in South Korea passed away on July 23. His sudden demise sent shock waves through the political and labor circles in Korea which were engulfed with deep grief.
According to police, Rep. Roh was found lying dead in front of an apartment in Jung-gu district in Seoul at 9:38 in the morning that day. Police found his jacket with a wallet, Justice Party business cards and notes on a staircase between 17th and 18th floor of the apartment.
The death of Rep. Roh is seemingly connected with the special prosecutor investigation on a power blogger known as 'Druking'. Rep. Roh has been under suspicion of receiving an illicit political donation worth 50 million won(US$ 44,000) from a lawyer surnamed as Doh who was a close associate to the power blogger 'Druking' and was also a high school classmate of Rep. Roh in March 2016.
A special counsel investigating into the case of the on-line opinion rigging scandal in the process of the last presidential election by a ring of a power blogger, Kim Dong-won known as 'Druking', who was a member of the Democratic Party and demanded favoritism to South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo has recently turned their investigation direction toward Rep. Roh who has come under tight scrutiny. Rep. Roh denied any allegation whenever it is reported that a summons against him from the special council is imminent, but it looks that it has aggravated psychological burdens upon him.
According to the note left before his death which was unveiled by the Justice Party, Rep. Roh has received a total of 40 million won(US$35,200) from Economic Coevolution on two separate occasions in March 2016, but there was no solicitation and no promise for favoritism in return. Rep. Roh lamented that he has come to know only later that he should have followed the proper political fund-raising procedures as donations were voluntarily made by many members of Economic Coevolution, but he did not. Rep. Roh wrote in his note that he takes all the responsibility for his foolish choice and disgraceful decision and makes a sincere apology to the Justice Party and many people who cared about him. Before ending his will, Rep. Roh asked the Justice Party to move forward with confidence although he stops there and also earnestly asked people to punish him for all the faults he had made but to continuously support the Justice Party.
Late Rep. Roh Hoe-chan was involved in the students' movement for the democratization and labor movement. He worked as a welder in Incheon after the college graduation in 1982 and played a pivotal role in forming the Incheon Region Democratic Workers' Federation in 1987. He was put into prison for the violation of the National Security Law in relation to the formation of the Incheon Region Democratic Workers' Federation in 1989.
Late Rep. Roh entered progressive politics and played a leading role in establishing a progressive political party in Korea. He was elected a member of parliament first time in 2004 and was currently serving as a third-term member of parliament and the floor leader of the Justice Party. He made a great contribution to the development of progressive politics and politicization of workers' movement in Korea. He also served as the founding publisher of the Labor Today(www.labortoday.co.kr), a daily newspaper specializing labor in Korea.
reported by Yon Yun-jung
translated by Kim Sung-jin