A former South Korean lawmaker accused of sexual assault has been found dead

Chang Je-won, then lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party,... — Chang Je-won, then lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, presides over the science and technology committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 18, 2023. Credit: AP/Choo Sang-chul

By The Associated PressUpdated March 31, 2025 10:58 pm

SEOUL, South Korea — A former South Korean lawmaker who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2015 has been found dead in Seoul, police said Tuesday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Chang Je-won was found dead in a studio in the eastern part of the capital Monday night and that a note was discovered at the scene. Police didn’t provide further details, citing the investigation into his death.

Chang served three terms as a conservative lawmaker and was a key ally of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. He had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman at a hotel in November 2015, when he was vice president at a university in Busan.

Chang had denied the accusations, calling them “one-sided claims” in a Facebook post last month, in which he vowed to take legal action to protect his honor. Kim Jae-ryun, the woman’s lawyer, canceled a news conference scheduled for Tuesday following news of Chang’s death.

Chang did not run in the elections last year. His terms as a lawmaker were 2008-2012, 2016-2020, and 2020-2024.