Korean official dies in fall at Chinese hotel

This is the official who was just sent to join a working group to China to investigate the bus accident that killed 10 Koreans earlier.

Mr. Choi Doo-Yeong, president of the Korean Local Government Officials Development Institute, died at a Chinese hotel this morning - Photo: Yonhap

According to AFP, early this morning (July 5), authorities in Jian city in northeastern China said a South Korean official died after falling from a high floor of a local 4-story hotel. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

The dead South Korean official was identified as Choi Doo-Yeong, president of the Korean Local Government Officials Development Institute.

According to Xinhua news agency, Mr. Choi was sent to accompany Vice Minister of the Interior Chung Chae-Gun to China to resolve the incident after a bus carrying dozens of Chinese civil servants fell off a bridge in Jian City on Wednesday (July 1). These were officials participating in a professional training trip for 148 government officials organized by Mr. Choi's Institute.

The accident killed 10 Koreans. The Chinese driver also died in the accident.

Police found a note in Mr. Choi's hotel room, but it had no writing on it. It is believed that Mr. Choi committed suicide because he felt the heavy pressure of responsibility for the accident.

However, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a ministry official as saying: "It cannot be confirmed whether Mr. Choi jumped off the building to commit suicide or slipped and fell to his death."

(According to TTO)