Scandal-tainted university president found dead in apparent suicide

SUNCHEON, South Korea, June 13 (Yonhap) -- A former agriculture minister under a probe on suspicions of bribery and his involvement in an unfolding savings bank scandal was found dead in an apparent suicide on Monday, police said.
Im Sang-gyu, president of Sunchon National University, is presumed to have killed himself by inhaling toxic fumes from burning coal briquettes inside his car in this southwestern city, 415 kilometers south of Seoul, police said.
The 62-year-old Im had served as agriculture minister and in key government posts at the Prime Minister's Office and the predecessors of the finance ministry and the science ministry before taking over as the university's chief last July. He was recently placed under an overseas travel ban for his alleged involvement in corruption cases.
Im has been under suspicion of receiving 20 million won (US$18,527) in kickbacks from businessman Yoo Sang-bong, who was arrested for brokering a number of contracts to operate lucrative makeshift cafeterias at construction sites. Yoo was charged with bribing ranking officials of construction firms and police in the process.
Prosecutors also found that a total of 150 million won from Yoo's bank account was funneled into accounts opened by Im's brother, who is a contractor, on two occasions in 2005 and 2007.
Prosecutors were reportedly trying to determine whether the money was given in return for helping Yoo broker a cafeteria contract in North Gyeongsang Province last year. Im, however, reportedly denied the suspicions.
He also has a relation by marriage with Park Yeon-ho, chairman of the Busan Savings Bank, the largest savings bank in South Korea, which was suspended under an intensive probe for lobbying high-ranking government officials and politicians to avoid punishment for its illegal loans and other financial wrongdoings.