By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Lee Joon-won, mayor of Paju, Kyonggi Province, plunged into the Han River at 3:47 p.m. Friday at the northern part of Panpo Bridge in Sobinggo-dong, northern Seoul.

Police pulled him from the river and transferred him to a nearby hospital, but the 51-year-old mayor was pronounced dead soon after.

Lee’s driver also drowned after following the mayor into the river to rescue him, police said.

``It appears the driver was in a hurry to try to prevent the mayor from jumping into the river,’’ a police officer said, noting that Lee’s car was found far away from the point where the incident was first reported and that the driver did not even apply the handbrake.

The exact motive behind Lee’s suicide is not yet known, but the prosecution said it was investigating Lee on bribery charges.

Lee was suspected to have received 20 million won in kickbacks from a university in Paju in exchange for business favors regarding the school’s construction project.

Prosecutors said they believe Lee was aware of the investigation on him. Investigators had asked the mayor’s office to submit papers regarding the project in the morning and were waiting to meet Lee after searching his office.

``We captured some evidence on Lee’s allegations and summoned his secretary for questioning, but we had not decided whether to summon Lee,’’ a prosecutor said.

Lee held various posts in Hyundai Engineering and Construction and Hyundai Motor since 1976, and was elected as Paju mayor in 2002.

Lee’s death is the fourth in a string of suicides by influential businessman and politicians involved in graft scandals this year, following South Cholla governor Park Tae-young on April 29, former president of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nam Sang-kook on March 11, and Pusan mayor Ahn Sang-young on February 4.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr