Media reports say Park Won-soon, the longtime mayor of South Korea's capital, Seoul, has been found dead after he was reported missing by his daughter amid a criminal probe and media reports of alleged sexual harassment.
His body was found in wooded hills in northern Seoul at about midnight on Friday, more than seven hours after police launched a massive search for him, according to CNN.
Police said there were no signs of foul play and did not give a cause of Park's death.
The apparent suicide reportedly came after one of Park's former secretaries filed a complaint on Wednesday alleging the 64-year-old had sexually harassed her, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Police confirmed a criminal complaint had been made against Park but did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
"I apologize to everyone," Park wrote in a note left on his desk and released by the city government with the permission of his family, according to Al Jazeera.
"I thank everyone who was with me in my lifetime. I am so sorry to my family, to whom I have only caused pain. Please cremate my body and scatter the ash over my parents' grave," the note said.
A representative for Park's family issued a statement on their behalf saying it was time to let him go and urging people to avoid spreading “groundless statements.”
"If acts of defaming him continue irrespective of the truth, we will sternly respond with legal action," said Moon Mi-ran, who formerly served as deputy mayor under Park.
According to the police, Park was reported missing by his daughter on at 5:17pm (08:17 GMT) on Thursday. Yonhap news agency reported that she also told police he had left a message “like a will.”
For seven hours, nearly 600 police officers and firefighters, along with three rescue dogs, scoured the city for Park. CNN says His body was ultimately found by a rescue dog and identified by firefighters.
