Former official accused of graft found dead

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- A former vice minister accused of bribery was found dead in his home on Friday, police said, the latest in a string of high-profile suicides.

Kim Yeong-cheol, 61, a former deputy secretary-general for Prime Minister Han
Seung-soo, was found dead in his bathroom by his daughter at around 8 a.m.,
police said.
Police found a suicide note to his wife that read, "I love you. I am sorry. It's
too hard, I am leaving first."
Kim resigned last week after allegations emerged that he pocketed tens of
millions of won from an environmentally-friendly energy developer, Kenertec Co.,
while serving as the head of a state-run energy firm from 2002 to 2005.
Suicide has reached unprecedented levels in Korea, with a recent string of
celebrity deaths stoking fears of a contagion sweeping the country. Four
entertainers have taken their own lives in the last month, the most notable being
top actress Choi Jin-sil, 40, who was said to have suffered depression and
extreme duress caused by malicious Internet rumors.