Former South Korean lawmaker accused of sexual assault found dead
Chang Je Won was a key ally of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol
A former South Korean lawmaker who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2015 has been found dead in Seoul, police said Tuesday.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Chang Je Won was found dead in a studio in the eastern part of the capital on Monday night and a note was discovered at the scene. Police didn’t provide further details, citing the investigation into his death.
Chang served three terms as a conservative lawmaker and was a key ally of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol. He had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman at a hotel in November 2015, when he was vice president at a university in Busan.
Chang had denied the accusations, calling them “one-sided claims” in a Facebook post last month, in which he vowed to take legal action to protect his honor.
Kim Jae Ryun, the woman’s lawyer, canceled a news conference scheduled for Tuesday following news of Chang’s death.