Family of dead businessman sues former president for defamation

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- A family of an executive who killed himself after being publicly chastised by former President Roh Moo-hyun filed a lawsuit on Friday against Roh for defamation and demanded his apology.

Nam Sang-kook, then chief of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co., committed
suicide by jumping into a river in 2004 after coming under suspicion for paying
30 million won to Roh's brother, Roh Gun-pyeong, to secure his position with the
company.
"Nam never asked for his position and never gave money to Roh Gun-pyeong. But
former President Roh Moo-hyun mentioned Nam four times at press conferences,
giving false information and defaming Nam's reputation," the family said in a
statement.
Roh Gun-pyeong was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison term for accepting
the bribe.
"Roh Gun-pyeong and his brother-in-law asked Nam to offer the money, saying they
were ready to help him keep his post," Nam's wife and family members said. "Nam
was proven innocent, but former President Roh shamed him by raising the issue in
public."
The ex-president, who left office in February, once referred to Nam during a
press conference, saying he "wished people like the president of Daewoo
Engineering and Construction, who have become very successful, would no longer
kowtow and give money to an ordinary man living in the countryside."
Several hours after the conference, Nam plunged into the Han river, apparently
shamed by the comments by Roh.
"We asked the former president to apologize for the comment, but he has not
budged an inch," said the family, adding the reappearance of Nam's name after Roh
Gun-pyeong was recently implicated in another bribery case has reawakened their
pain over his death.
The elder Roh was taken into custody early this month on suspicion of receiving
billions of won from businessmen seeking help in their takeover bid for a
securities company in 2005.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)