Stock market rout pushes failed investors to suicide

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- A string of unsuccessful stock investors are turning to suicide as the local stock market has turned bearish in recent weeks amid the lingering global debt crisis.
A 37-year-old man, identified only by his surname Jeong, hanged himself late Thursday in a motel room in Asan, about 100 kilometers south of Seoul, police said Friday.
Investigators said they had been searching for him after receiving a report from his wife that he had left home saying he planned to die.
Jeong, who was unemployed, had been plagued in recent days by incurring debt worth 100 million won (US$92,251) from his failed investment in shares, according to police.
A suicide note was found at the scene, which read, "I am sorry for dying before (my family members)," they added.
Another 37-year-old man was also found dead in a cargo truck in Okcheon, 174 kilometers south of Seoul, on Thursday, according to police.
Investigators said they suspect he used the gas from a charcoal briquette to poison himself in an apparent suicide, citing the cinders that remained in the truck.
His family members said to police that he had been in agony due to huge stock market losses. An investigation into the exact cause of death is under way, according to police.
On Wednesday, a 46-year-old man in Cheongju, about 120 kilometers south of Seoul, jumped from an apartment building to his death over financial woes that resulted from his failed investments in stocks, police said.
South Korean stock market has been pummeled by grim global economic prospects, with its key index plunging nearly 15 percent since earlier this month.