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Roh Moo-Hyun backgrounder: Extraordinary life and death
From the son of a poor farming family to the president of South Korea, Roh Moo-Hyun's extraordinary life AND extraordinary death have shocked South Korea and beyond.
Just last month, state prosecutors questioned Roh Moo-hyun for 13 hours on his involvement in the 6 million dollar corruption case. The accusations had deeply shamed him.
"I have no face to show to the people. I am sorry for disappointing you,"
Said an emotional Roh on April 30, days before the questioning.
Roh acknowledged that his wife took 1 million US dollars from Park Yeon-cha, head of a local shoe manufacturer, but insisted it was not a bribe. He also said he was aware that Park gave another 5 million dollars to a relative but said he thought it was an investment, and none of the money had anything to do with himself. But prosecutors say Roh was the ultimate target.
The former president came from humble beginnings.
Roh Moo-Hyun was born into a poor farming family and never went to college. He studied law on his own and passed South Korea's bar exam.
He rose to the presidency after a surprise 2002 election win on a campaign pledge not to "kowtow" to the United States. The pledge resonated with young voters.
He maintained predecessor's "sunshine policy" with the DPRK and met with its leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang in 2007.
And once out of power, Roh also fell from grace.
Prosecutors went after him on one graft charge after another. He once said his life in retirement had been disturbed and his home had virtually become a prison.
