Goryeong County chief Lee Nam-cheol dies while battling esophageal cancer

Lee Nam-cheol, the head of Goryeong County in North Gyeongsang Province, died at 12:55 a.m. on the night of the first, after battling esophageal cancer. He was 67.

Lee took 30 days of medical leave on the 18th of the previous month to receive treatment at a hospital in Seoul. His death came about two months after he began his second term as county chief.

Lee first won the post as a People Power Party candidate in the 2022 local elections. He secured re-election in this year’s local elections, but died before completing the start of his new term.

Before entering politics, Lee spent 41 years working for Goryeong County government from 1979. He served as head of the Planning and Coordination Office, head of the General Affairs Division and mayor of Daegaya-eup before leaving public service in 2019. His funeral altar is at Goryeong Daegaya Funeral Hall. The funeral procession and memorial service are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on September 3 at Goryeong County Office.