Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye is entering a funeral hall at a hospital in Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th to pay respects at the funeral of a junior prosecutor from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office who died by jumping. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Park Beomgye, Minister of Justice, visited the funeral hall of a newly appointed prosecutor who died by jumping from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office building in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Minister Park expressed his sorrow, saying, "It is regrettable," and stated that it is "difficult to make a hasty judgment" regarding the cause of the deceased's death.
On the 13th, Minister Park visited the funeral hall set up at a hospital in Yangcheon-gu to pay his respects. At the funeral, he told reporters, "I do not know the reason why a rookie prosecutor, to whom I personally handed the appointment letter, has left this world like this," adding, "It is truly regrettable. I was deeply saddened upon hearing the news."
He continued, "Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo called me and promised to thoroughly investigate the cause," and added, "It is difficult to make any conclusions at this point, and I believe it is important to clarify the facts now."
On the same day, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo also visited the funeral hall. Kim said, "As the Prosecutor General, I express my condolences," and added, "I want to comfort the bereaved family and pray for the deceased's soul."
When asked by reporters whether he had received any reports regarding the connection between the rookie prosecutor's death and work, he dismissed the question, saying, "It does not seem appropriate to mention that here."
Lee Mo (30), a prosecutor belonging to the Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, died after jumping from the office building at around 11:20 a.m. the previous day. It was reported that a prosecutor official found Lee collapsed in the east parking lot of the building. After receiving the report, the fire department arrived and confirmed that Lee was in cardiac arrest, handed him over to the police, and he was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The police are investigating the specific circumstances of Lee's death. They also plan to investigate whether there was a suicide note left before the jump.
On the same day, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office launched an internal investigation immediately after the incident and stated in an official statement, "We cannot help but feel devastated and sorrowful over the extreme choice made by the rookie prosecutor, and we express our deepest condolences to the deceased and the bereaved family."
The prosecution plans to examine whether members of the department to which Lee belonged engaged in verbal abuse or other harsh treatment, and whether Lee had expressed work-related stress.
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