Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

S. Korea Shocked by Death of Ex-Prez

By Sam Biddle, Newser Staff

Posted May 23, 2009 2:40 PM CDT

(Newser) – South Koreans are reeling from news that former president Roh Moo-hyun has apparently killed himself, the BBC reports. Hundreds of mourners lined the streets as his body was transported to his hometown funeral. Crowds also gathered around Deoksu Palace in Seoul, presenting flowers and burning incense. "Don't be too sad," Roh wrote in a suicide note to his family. "Isn't life and death all part of nature?"

"This is a truly unbelievable, lamentable and deeply sad event," said current South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Roh’s predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, lamented that "allegations concerning his family members have been leaked to the press every day." Investigators had questioned Roh about $6 million in reported bribes. "He was probably unable to bear the pressure and tensions any longer," Dae-jung said.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (1)]

Supporters walks by a huge portrait of former President Roh Moo-hyun near Roh's house in Gimhae, South Korea, Saturday, May 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A supporter of former President Roh Moo-hyun cries at incense burning for the former president on a street in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, May 23, 2009. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)

Supports of former President Roh Moo-hyun with candles gather near the Roh's house in Gimhae, South Korea, Saturday, May 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supports of former President Roh Moo-hyun place candles near the Roh's house in Gimhae, South Korea, Saturday, May 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Please cremate me. And please leave a small tombstone near home. I've long thought about that. - Roh Moo-hyun's suicide note

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Teen Couple Leap to Deaths After Her Forced Marriage

Bangladeshi pair ended their lives on Valentine's Day

(NEWSER) - A love affair between two teens in Bangladesh ended in tragedy after the 16-year-old girl's family married her off to a man twice her age. The girl and her 17-year-old boyfriend tied their hands together with a scarf and jumped to their deaths from a mobile phone tower, the Daily Mail reports. Police say the boy called his brother and told him they were committing suicide on Valentine's Day so they could stay together forever. More»

Police Find Papers Powell Dumped Before Killing Boys

Volunteers also recover books, Utah map at recycling site

(NEWSER) - Authorities are poring over papers belonging to Josh Powell that were found at a recycling center over the weekend, along with books and a map of Utah. Volunteers sifted through more than 10 tons of paper to find items that Powell had dropped off the day before blowing himself up along with his two sons, the AP reports. Among the papers is what the sheriff's office calls a "testament" with Powell's name on it, although authorities did not elaborate on what it contains. More»

Powell Told Sons He Had 'Big Surprise' for Them

Incest images found on Josh Powell's computer

(NEWSER) - When a social worker brought Josh Powell's sons for their final, deadly visit, she heard Powell tell the two excited little boys he had a "big surprise" for them—so they rushed into his home, where he quickly killed them. "He caught my eye, his shoulders were slumped. He had a sheepish look," social worker Elizabeth Griffin-Hall told 20/20 . "He just shrugged his shoulders and slammed the door." Once inside, Powell attacked the boys with an ax and torched 10 gallons of gasoline he had purchased to blow up his Washington state home, say authorities. In other disturbing developments in the case, officials have revealed that images of animated characters engaging in incest were discovered on Powell's computer, reports AP . More»

S. Korea Returns Remains of US Soldier

He was killed in the early days of fighting in 1950

(NEWSER) - One more US soldier from the Korean War is coming home: South Korea today handed over the remains of an American killed in the early days of the war in 1950, reports the Korea Herald . The remains were found last year on a hill in South Chungcheong Province, and they will be sent to Hawaii to determine the soldier's identity. About 8,000 Americans remain unaccounted for from the 1950-'53 war. More»

Artist Mike Kelley Dead in Apparent Suicide

Influential American reportedly depressed after breakup

(NEWSER) - Influential American artist Mike Kelley was found dead yesterday at age 57, in what police say appears to be a suicide. A friend told investigators he had been depressed following a recent breakup, the New York Times reports. Kelley specialized in large-scale pieces, often incorporating sculpture, video, or performance, and his work tended toward what the art world terms "abjection"—a preoccupation with visceral, shocking, gross-out imagery. He's been featured extensively in gallery shows, and will be included in the upcoming Whitney Biennial. One of his pieces was also used as the cover of the Sonic Youth album Dirty in 1992. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website