Korean man commits suicide

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

A South Korean businessman identified as Park Young Jin, 53, committed suicide on Friday by hanging himself with electric cable from his office ceiling.

The body of Jin, director of PT Golden Glass located on Jl. Raya Legok, Legok, Tangerang, was still being kept at the Tangerang General Hospital morgue on Monday.

A morgue employee said the hospital could not conduct an autopsy on Jin's body until his next of kin arrived from South Korea on Tuesday.

"We may conduct an autopsy on Jin's body only if his family members arrive here and sign an approval letter," Jaelani, an officer at the hospital's morgue, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Jin's remains arrived at the hospital at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

According to police, Jin was found dead at around 7 p.m. on Friday by Suryanto, one of the factory's security guards, who was wondering why Jin was still in the office at 7 p.m.

The South Korean businessman usually went home by 5 p.m.

"The security guard claimed that he had knocked on his boss' door repeatedly while calling put to him but no reply came from inside," Legok Police chief Adj. Insp. Tobing S. told the Post.

The guard then opened the door and was shocked when seeing his boss hanging from a cable tied to the office ceiling.

The guard reported the case to the police who took the body to the Tangerang General Hospital for a post mortem examination.

"For the time being, we conclude that the Korean businessman committed suicide as he was distressed by the company's financial burdens," Tobing said.

He said that factory workers had repeatedly staged rallies to demand an increase in salary recently but due to the company's poor financial condition, Jin could not fulfill the workers' demands.

"Besides, Jin was also distressed due to the company's debts. Factory electricity bills amounting to Rp 200 million and the factory lease had not been paid," he cited as examples.

Tangerang Police chief Sr. Comr. Rusli Hediaman also said that Jin definitely committed suicide.

"We are sure that the Korean businessman's death was caused by suicide because there was no sign of violence found on his body except bruises on his neck caused by the cable," he said.

Heidiaman said that the exact cause of Jin's death would be known after an autopsy was performed.

"We hope that his family members arrive here today so that the autopsy can be done soon," he said.