By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter

Yangsan Mayor Oh Geun-sup was found dead in an apparent suicide Friday morning at his ranch in South Gyeongsang Province ahead of a hearing on his involvement in a corruption case.

He had been scheduled to appear at the Ulsan regional prosecutor's office at 10:00 a.m. Friday.

The 62-year-old hanged himself in the kitchen and was later taken to a nearby hospital, according to local police.

The Ulsan prosecutor's office had been investigating the late mayor for allegedly accepting some 2 billion won in bribes from regional developers. Authorities were tracing bank records of the mayor and his aides.

"Personally, I believe that the mayor took his own life to express his sentiment toward the investigation and prove his innocence," Vice Mayor Ahn Gi-sup said during a press conference shortly after the mayor's body was transferred to the Busan University Hospital in Yangsan. Ahn will serve as the acting mayor.

Oh was elected to post in 2006 as an independent candidate and joined the governing Grand National Party in 2007.

jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr