– Cause of death unclear –
“We do not know yet whether it was a homicide or a suicide,” Woo said.
“We are hoping that more detailed forensic analysis will shed light on this and on the exact time of death,” he said, adding that a toxicology test was being carried out.
The body was found lying face up and clothed in a winter jacket.
Yoo was the patriarch of the family behind Chonghaejin Marine Co., which owned and operated the Sewol ferry that sank on April 16 with 476 people on board, including 325 high school children.
The number of confirmed dead currently stands at 294, with 10 victims still unaccounted for. READ: S. Korean divers struggle to open blocked ferry cabins.
The disaster stunned South Korea, knocking the entire country off its stride and triggering public outrage as it emerged that incompetence, corruption and greed had all contributed to the scale of the disaster.
A summons was issued for Yoo shortly after the sinking, but he refused to surrender to police and eventually went on the run.
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