Police in South Korea say the former chairman of that country's oldest conglomerate -- the Doosan Group, which owns the North Dakota-based bob cat Company -- apparently hanged himself. The death of Park Yong-oh follows a string of suicides by other high-profile South Koreans.
Police say a maid found the 72-year-old Park hanged with a necktie at his home, and a suicide note was found.
The Doosan Group is one of South Korea's largest conglomerates, with 15 subsidiaries with operations including construction, food and clothing. Doosan also builds nuclear power plants. North Dakota-based Bobcat, which makes maker of small loaders and light construction equipment, is owned by Doosan Infracore International, a subsidiary of Doosan Group company Doosan Infracore.
Doosan had no comment on Park's apparent suicide.
South Korea, a nation of 49 million people, has the highest rate of suicide among nations belonging to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development, a grouping of 30 industrialized nations.
Former president Roh Moo-hyun jumped off a cliff to his death in May.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
