Anti-corruption official leading First Lady investigation found dead

SHAH ALAM - A senior official from South Korea's anti-corruption agency, known for leading high-profile investigations involving First Lady Kim Keon Hee and former opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, was found dead on Thursday.

The Korea Herald reported that the official was found dead in his Sejong City apartment at about 9.50am, with a suicide note, by someone who went to check on him after he missed work and failed to respond to calls.

Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

The official, who recently served as the acting director of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) anti-corruption bureau, had overseen various integrity policies and investigations.

According to the news website, his work included handling politically charged cases such as the investigation into Lee Jae-myung's use of a helicopter following a knife attack in January and examining allegations against First Lady Kim Keon Hee regarding a luxury handbag valued at 3 million won ($2,178).

In June, the ACRC closed the ‘luxury handbag scandal’ case after determining that the gift was unrelated to President Yoon Suk Yeol's official duties and did not violate anti-corruption laws, as no punishment clause applied to the spouses of public officials.

This decision, however, put considerable pressure on the official.

Reports from South Korean pay television network JTBC revealed that the official had recently confided to a friend about the intense psychological pressure he felt due to senior ACRC officials urging him to close the case despite his concerns.

In a Kakao Talk message sent on Tuesday, he expressed feeling overwhelmed and apologised for any disappointments he had caused.

Last month, the official also appeared before a parliamentary hearing to respond to lawmakers' questions.