Police said July 22 that a badly decomposed body found in a southern rural area on June 12 was identified as Yoo Byung-eun. Police cited DNA and fingerprints taken by the National Forensic Service.
Authorities had sought the 73-year-old, believing he was the real owner of the sunken ferry's company and that his alleged corruption may have contributed to the April 16 disaster that left more than 300 people dead, mostly school children travelling to the southern resort island of Jeju.
The news quickly fueled public indignation following revelations authorities did not even suspect the body could be Yoo's until recently and had still continued large-scale manhunts for him - even though his body was found near one of his villas that was raided in May and items found near the remains could have offered clues about his identity. DNA tests on Yoo's body took about 40 days and critics say officials could have done it sooner if they suspected it was him.
Prosecutors later admitted that Yoo's detained secretary told investigators her boss was hidden behind a wall on the second floor during the May 25 search of his villa.
A high-level prosecutor resigned and two senior police officers were dismissed, but South Korean opposition lawmakers and media called for higher level officials to also step down.
On Friday, the forensic service said that it has conducted additional tests on Yoo's body but couldn't establish the exact cause of death because the body had decayed too much.
Agency chief Seo Joong-seok and other forensic doctors told a televised news conference that they did not find any evidence showing that Yoo was poisoned, suffocated or died of external pressures or any disease. Police said they could not find any evidences that Yoo was killed.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
