Police say body of missing Seoul mayor has been found

Seoul police said early Friday that they had located the body of Park Won-soon, the city’s mayor, following an extensive search.

The Associated Press reported that Park’s body was found in hills north of the city early Friday morning, local time, following a seven-hour search that began when Park’s daughter reported him missing and stated that he had left a message appearing to be a will upon disappearing.

Park’s disappearance and apparent death comes as one of his secretaries had reportedly lodged a sexual harassment complaint against him with local police. He did not appear at work on Thursday for unspecified reasons and canceled all appointments for the day, according to the AP.

A police officer who spoke to the AP told the news service that the mayor’s body had been located near a traditional restaurant and banquet hall in the hills north of Seoul.

Reelected to his mayoral post in 2018, the 64-year-old was seen as a potential candidate for the 2022 South Korean presidential election, according to Bloomberg News. Before entering politics, he served as an attorney representing victims of abuse at the hands of the Japanese military during Japan’s occupation of South Korea.