U.S. soldier found dead in alleged suicide

A U.S. soldier was found dead in front of his apartment in an alleged suicide, Seoul police said Thursday.

A 38-year-old U.S. soldier, whose information was withheld, was found dead in the parking lot of his apartment in Yongsan-gu, Seoul in the early morning. He was immediately moved to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the authorities said.

The police suspected he committed suicide as a scar was found on his body that seemed to have come from a windowsill. No suicide note or signs of intrusion were found, they added.

The soldier reportedly lived alone on the 14th floor of the apartment after separating from his wife.

The police are further probing the case based on the footage of surveillance cameras. An autopsy will be conducted if necessary, the investigators said.

“Our Criminal Investigation Division is actively working with Korean national police to determine the facts surrounding this incident,” said Col. David H. Patterson Jr., the spokesman for the 8th U.S. Army, declining to provide further details.

By Lee Hyun-jeong(rene@heraldcorp.com)