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SEOUL, April 01 (AJP) - Former People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won, who was under police investigation for sexual assault allegations, was found dead at about 11:40 p.m. on Monday, police reported Tuesday.
According to the police, Jang was found dead at around 11:40 p.m. at a studio apartment in Seoul’s eastern district of Gangdong. A note believed to have been written by Jang was found at the scene. Police suspect Jang took his own life and are investigating the exact circumstances of his death.
Jang had been under police investigation after being accused of quasi-rape resulting in injury in a complaint filed by his former secretary. The alleged incident occurred in November 2015 when Jang was serving as vice president of a university in Busan.
Jang had consistently denied the allegations, stating that there was no truth to the secretary’s claims. He reportedly continued to deny all charges during his police questioning on Mar. 28.
However, the former secretary’s legal representatives submitted new evidence to police on Monday and released a video claimed to have been recorded in a hotel room in Seoul’s southern Gangnam District at the time of the incident.
The footage allegedly shows Jang calling out the former secretary’s name and instructing her to bring him water, followed by scenes of him pulling her back and attempting unwanted physical contact. A male voice, believed to be Jang’s, can be heard in the video.
The former secretary and her legal representatives had scheduled a press conference at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to explain the details of the complaint. With the suspect now deceased, the police investigation is expected to conclude with "no right of prosecution."
“This will need to be reviewed internally, so it’s difficult to provide a definitive answer at this moment,” a police official told reporters.
Jang served as a lawmaker in the 18th, 20th, and 21st National Assemblies and was considered a key figure in the pro-Yoon faction, having served as chief of staff to President Yoon Suk Yeol during his transition period. He did not run in the upcoming 22nd general election.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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