Jeon Jinseon, Governor of Yangpyeong County in Gyeonggi Province, expressed his condolences on October 10 for the public official who died shortly after being questioned by the special counsel team led by Special Prosecutor Min Junggi, which is investigating Kim Keonhee.
On the same day, Governor Jeon stated on his Facebook page, "How can I possibly express in words the pain of a public official who has passed away? As the county governor, I am simply heartbroken."
He added, "Our county will take time to mourn and remember the deceased, and I sincerely wish for his peaceful rest."
The deceased official, identified as Mr. A (in his 50s), was the head of Danwol-myeon in Yangpyeong County. He was found at his home in Yangpyeong-eup at approximately 11:14 a.m. on October 10.
Mr. A had been questioned by the Kim Keonhee special counsel team as a witness on October 2 in connection with allegations of preferential treatment regarding the Gongheung District development project.
It is reported that the special counsel was investigating whether Mr. A had given any preferential treatment to the company owned by Kim Jinwoo, the brother of Mrs. Kim, during the process of imposing development charges for the Gongheung District project in 2016.
After being questioned by the special counsel, Mr. A left a handwritten note stating that he was struggling due to "coercion and pressure from the investigators," and subsequently died.
In response, the special counsel team denied the allegations, stating, "There was no coercive investigation."
The police plan to determine the exact cause of death based on statements from the bereaved family, on-site forensics, and whether an autopsy will be conducted. They will also continue to examine the specific contents and circumstances of the note, as well as any possible connection to the special counsel's investigation.
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