FSS official apparently committed suicide

An official of South Korea's financial regulator apparently jumped to his death on Tuesday, but the incident does not appear to be related to a scandal involving a local savings bank, police and the Financial Supervisory Service said, according to Yonhap News.

  The official, identified only by his surname Kim, was bleeding when he was found by a security guard at the entrance of an apartment on Tuesday afternoon in Busan, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, police said.

   The guard said he suddenly heard a thud and went outside and found the man on the ground.

   Police said Kim jumped to his death from a window of his apartment, citing CCTV footage, but said no suicide note was found, according to the report.

   Kim's body was transported to a nearby hospital and police were trying to determine the exact cause of death.

   The Financial Supervisory Service said Kim had nothing to do with the scandal of Busan Savings Bank, whose top executives and large share holders were charged in connection with the bank's financial irregularities worth 7 trillion won ($6.57 billion).

   Busan is one of the savings banks whose operations have been suspended since February due to financial instability and suspicious transactions.

   Kim's wife told police that she withdrew 57 million won ($53,200) from another savings bank in Busan in a legitimate manner a day after Busan Savings Bank was suspended.

   Prosecutors were also investigating Busan Savings Bank over allegations that bank employees told their family members and close friends to withdraw their deposits on the eve of business suspensions.