Ex-lawmaker’s body found in Han

The body of former lawmaker Kim Jong-yull was found in the Han River yesterday. The grim discovery came a day after his shoes were spotted on a dock following an intensive questioning session by prosecutors.

The two-term former Democratic Party lawmaker’s body was found at 10:55 a.m. floating around 10 meters (32 feet) away from the yacht dock at Seorae Island in Seocho District, southern Seoul where his shoes were found, according to the Bangbae Police Precinct.

The professor-turned-lawmaker had been grilled on Sunday for his role in what was supposed to be the delivery of a 500 million won bribe from a bio venture firm called K-Stemcell to a senior official at the Financial Supervisory Service in 2011. Under questioning, Kim confessed to stealing the money instead of delivering it to the official, who has been identified as Yoon.

In a suicide note sent to prosecutors, Kim said, “I feel an enormous sense of guilt and express my apologies to Yoon and his family. I beg you to convey my sense of atonement to them.”

BY KANG JIN-KYU [jkkang2@joongang.co.kr]