On June 28, 2022, former Gyeonggi Province council member and candidate for mayor of Pyeongtaek, Choi Ho, was found dead amid investigations into allegations of interference by former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife in the candidate selection process.

According to Pyeongtaek Police Station, Choi was discovered dead around 3:14 a.m. on a hillside in Songtan-dong, Pyeongtaek.

No suicide note or evidence of foul play has been reported, and the police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.

Previously, it was alleged that, prior to the 2022 local elections, former President Yoon and his wife had pushed for Choi, who is classified as belonging to the pro-Yoon faction, to be selected as a preliminary candidate in the People's Power party's nomination process for the mayoral position in Pyeongtaek.

In April, Choi was summoned for questioning by the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, which was investigating the nomination allegations surrounding the former president and his wife.

At the time of his nomination, Choi served as a political advisor to the central election campaign headquarters of President Yoon Suk-yeol and was a standing advisory member of the presidential transition committee.

However, he lost the election against Jeong Jang-seon, the candidate from the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team led by Kim Yeong-joon, which is probing the allegations of interference in the candidate selection process, stated that they have had no contact related to the investigation, including with Choi, and do not have any plan to summon him.

If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult feelings such as depression and needs someone to talk to, you can receive 24-hour counseling from experts by calling the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or through the SNS counseling service Madlan (www.129.go.kr/109/etc/madlan).

If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult feelings such as depression and needs someone to talk to, you can receive 24-hour counseling from experts by calling the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or through the SNS counseling service Madlan (www.129.go.kr/109/etc/madlan).

Image source: Choi Ho, former Gyeonggi Province council member / Facebook capture, stock photo for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank