SEOUL -- South Korea's former President Roh Moo-hyun died on Saturday after he fell while mountain hiking, Yonhap news agency reported.
People watch a TV news on former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's death at Seoul railway station in Seoul, May 23, 2009. [Agencies]
Roh Moo-hyun died after falling from a mountainside behind his residence in Bongha Village, southern South Korea, early Saturday morning, his lawyer Moon Jae-in announced in a news conference, saying Roh left behind a "brief" suicide note to his family.
Security guards try to block media personnel outside the emergency room of a hospital where South Korean former President Roh Moo-hyun's dead body is laid in Yangsan, about 430 km (267 miles) southeast of Seoul May 23, 2009. [Agencies]
Pusan National University Hospital in a nearby town also announced that Roh was rushed to its emergency room at 8:13 a.m. and died at 9:30 a.m. from external head injury.
South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak expressed deep regret over the sudden death of his predecessor Roh Moo-hyun on Saturday, calling it a national tragedy, his spokesman said.
Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, said the president and his office were in "complete shock" and "disbelief."
The president learned of Roh's death about 40 minutes after Roh reportedly jumped from a mountainside near his home at around 6:40 a.m., the spokesman said.
"President Lee was shocked by the report," he said, "and ordered swift and complete measures to deal with the situation."
A supporter of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun holds a caricature of Roh and weeps at Bonghwa village where Roh resided, in Gimhae, about 450 km (280 miles) southeast of Seoul May 23, 2009[Agencies]
Police were invesigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Roh whose five-year term as president ended in early 2008.
Roh was summoned in April as a suspect in a multi-million dollar graft probe but prosecutors have not yet decided whether to arrest him.
The case has sparked a media frenzy along with sharp criticism of Roh, who won office partly on an anti-corruption platform and served from 2003 to 2008.
He has publicly apologised for his family's involvement in the case but denied personal involvement.
Five former presidents including Roh have been tarnished by scandals involving either themselves or their families. Apart from Roh, Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo personally faced a criminal probe.
Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun arrives at his house after being questioned over allegations that he received millions of dollars from a businessman, in Bongha, South Korea, Friday, May 1, 2009. [Agencies]
译文:
韩国前总统卢武铉自杀身亡——联合通讯社报导
首尔—韩国前任总统卢武铉本周六在爬山时坠崖身亡，联合通讯社报导。
2009年5月23日， 韩国民众在首尔地下铁通过电视关注前任总统卢武铉的死讯（通讯社）
卢武铉从他住的韩国南部城市金海市峰河村后山崖上坠落后身亡，周六早上，卢的律师Moon Jae在新闻发布会中称他向家人留下了简单的遗书。
2009年5月23日，安全防卫人员试图阻拦等候在医院急诊室外的记者们，前任韩国总统卢武铉的遗体就躺在里面。这家急诊中心坐落在东南部，距首尔430公里（267英里）【通讯社报】
在城镇附近的釜山国际大学医院同时宣称，卢在早上8：13分被送到急诊室，在9：30分时死于头部外伤
韩国总统李明博对周六卢武铉突然的死讯表示悲痛，他称此为世界的悲剧，他的一位发言人说道。
李东官，一位青瓦台办公室发言人说道，李明博总统以及其官员都陷入“完全震惊”与“不可思议”中。
一位发言人说，总统在报道40分钟后，才知道卢武铉在早上6：40分从自家后面山上坠崖事件。
“对于这个报导，李明博总统表现出非常震惊”他说道，并且他迅速果断地采取了解决的相关措施。
2009年5月23日，距首尔东南部450公里（280英里）处，卢的居住地峰河村，一位前韩国总统卢武铉的拥护者扶着卢的一张漫画泣不成声。
警方正在调查卢的出事地点的周边环境，这位在2008年初结束他5年任期的总统。4月，卢作为嫌疑人因为一场几百万美元的贪污调查案被召唤，但是并没有最终下令对他进行逮捕。
这个事件让媒体感到震惊，同时惹怒了对卢的锐利批判，因为之前2003-2008年担任总统的卢武铉,当初胜选的部分原因是他反贪腐的立场。
他曾经公开对因为这件事而受牵连的家人表示道歉但他否认了个人的涉入案。
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包括卢在内的5位前任总统自身或是其家人都被指责与这件丑闻有关联。除了卢之外，还有全斗焕和卢泰愚面临这场犯罪调查案
2009年5月1日，韩国南部烽河村，在被审问完关于是否接受商界的几百万美元的受贿后，前任韩国总统卢武铉回到住所。【通讯社】