'불법자금 의혹' 노회찬 아파트서 투신 사망<br /><br /> A respected opposition lawmaker took his own life this morning.<br />There were allegations that he accepted illegal political funding.<br />In an apparent suicide note he wrote... that he did accept money... but it had nothing to do with any illicit political favors.<br />He may have chosen this path for various reasons including... clearing his party's reputation.<br />Kim Min-ji has our top story.. <br /> Roh Hoe-chan, a three-term lawmaker with the minor opposition Justice Party, jumped to his death Monday.<br />His body was found near an apartment complex by a security guard at around 9:40 in the morning.<br />Police later found his jacket on the staircase between the building's 17th and 18th floors -- where his mother and brother were living -- and inside was his wallet, business cards and an apparent suicide note.<br /><br /> It's been a shock to both the ruling and opposition parties -- especially given that Roh had been known for his clean image.<br />He was an iconic figure in the labor movement and in progressive politics,... and was also popular for his pithy remarks.<br /><br /> His image was tainted, however,... after allegations surfaced... that he received illegal political funds worth 50 million won,... or over 44-thousand U.S. dollars.<br />The lawmaker had continously denied the allegations... and said he would undergo questioning sincerely if he was summoned.<br /> In the suicide note,... he said that he had accepted funds worth some 35-thousand dollars in total on two occasions,... but claimed there were no special favors or any promises in return.<br />He said he had been foolish and accepted responsibility for not having gone through the official procedures for receiving political contributions.<br />And, he said, though his time ends here, the Justice Party must go on.<br /><br /> The allegations came to light amid an investigation into an online opinion rigging scandal... involving a blogger, known as Druking, who is on trial for using illegal hacking programs to manipulate online comments on political news articles... to sway public opinion and win personal favors.<br />As part of the probe,... the accounts of an organization run by Druking were tracked down and it was found that money had been transferred to Roh in 2016.<br /> A special prosecution team looking into the case said they have evidence that the funds were delivered to Roh by an associate of Druking's.<br />The case was investigated in back in 2016,... with no charges filed -- but the ongoing probe revealed that Druking's associate had submitted fabricated evidence to investigators at the time.<br /><br /> The Justice Party said it regrets that the special probe has had such devastating consequences... when the initial point of the investigation was not Roh's finances but the manipulation scheme.<br /> The independent counsel leading the probe, Huh Ik-bum, expressed sorrow in a televised briefing,... sending words of condolences to the lawmaker and his family.<br />Roh's funeral will take place on Friday.<br />Kim Min-ji, Arirang News. <br />
