President Lee Myung-bak received a report at 7:20 a.m. (KST) that former President Roh had fallen while climbing on a mountain near his country home. Hearing of the report from Kim In-jong, Chief of Presidential Security Service, President Lee initially instructed him to promptly provide all available medical attention to his predecessor.

Regarding the incident, President Lee convened an emergency meeting with his senior secretaries right before his summit with the Czech President. During the meeting, President Lee said "It is extremely hard to believe. I am totally overcome with sorrow." Later in the morning, while he was in a Korea-EU summit, he was informed that former President Roh had died.

President Lee promptly conveyed condolences of profound sorrow to the former President's family and instructed the Cheong Wa Dae staff to help arrange impeccable funeral services with utmost courtesy befitting a former head of state.

Accordingly, Cheong Wa Dae Chief of Staff Chung Chung-Kil telephoned Moon Jae-in, former President Roh's Chief of Staff while he was in office, in order to convey condolences from the Office of the President. President Lee cancelled his plan to appear on a KBS-TV program later in the day.

*Press release (May 23)