Chang Je-won, a South Korean conservative politician from the People Power Party, passed away by suicide after sexual assault allegations surfaced. He was 57 years old.
Videos by Suggest
According to Associated Press, the former lawmaker was found dead in a studio in the eastern part of Seoul on Monday. A suicide note was discovered on the scene.
Chang Je-won served three terms as a conservative lawmaker, 2008-2012, 2016-2020, and 2020-2024. He was noted to be a key ally of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
However, he came under scrutiny after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in November 2015. He was a vice president of a university in Busan at the time.
The late politician denied the allegations last month. He referred to them as “one-sided claims.”
“I strongly suspect that there may be a hidden conspiracy behind the sudden accusation of an incident that they claim occurred nearly 10 years ago,” he stated. “I will certainly clear my name and will use all my efforts to gather records and evidence from 10 years ago to support my case legally.”
He then added, “I will return after proving my innocence.”
Chang Je-Won’s Alleged Victim Released a Video of When the Sexual Assault Took Place
Although Chang Je-Won adamantly denied the allegations, his alleged victim released a video of when the sexual assault took place.
The video shows the former politician calling the victim’s name and asking her to bring him water. Chang Je-Won then attempted to assault her, leaving her with a sobbing voice.
The victim’s attorneys claimed that she had a collection of evidence of an assault using an emergency kit following the incident.
Chang Je-Won’s alleged victim was a secretary at the university where he was a vice president.