Roh Moo-hyun, 62, the beleaguered former president of South Korea, killed himself falling from a mountain near his home, today.

Roh's former chief of staff Moon Jae-in said in a statement on the national radio and television that the former president had left his house at 0545 (2045 GMT on Friday) and about an hour later, while hiking on Bonghwa Mountain, jumped to his death.

Roh fell 20-30 metres and was brought to Busan National University Hospital at 0830 local time (2330 GMT), where he was pronounced dead on arrival, reports said.

Investigators are still examining the scene.

Doctors who attended Roh said he died of massive head injuries resulting from the fall.

Roh's body was later taken from the hospital in Busan to his hometown of Gimhae, where his funeral will be held.

Roh, who was under investigation for alleged corruption, had left a brief suicide note, his spokesman said.

''I can't imagine the countless agonies down the road. The rest of my life would only be a burden for others. I can't do anything because I'm not healthy. I can't read books, nor can I write....Don't be too sad. Isn't life and death all part of nature? Don't be sorry. Don't blame anybody. It's fate. Please cremate me. And please leave a small tombstone near home. I've long thought about that,'' Roh wrote in his suicide note. (Yonhap news agency.)

Roh had, last month, apologised over the allegations that his family took $6 million in bribes during 2003-2008, when he was president. But he never admitted any wrongdoing.

Last month, Roh was questioned over allegations that he had taken more than $6 million in bribes from a wealthy shoe manufacturer, Park Yeon-cha, who was indicted in December on another bribery and tax evasion charges.

The former president later apologised for the scandal.

"I feel ashamed before my fellow citizens. I am sorry for disappointing you," he said in a televised statement on 30 April.

Roh admitted his wife had received $1 million from Park. But he denied it was a bribe - it was a payment to help her settle a debt, he said.

He also said he was aware that the businessman had given another $5 million to a relative, but that, he said, was an investment.

With Roh's death justice minister Kim Kyung-han said the corruption case against him would be formally closed. He did not elaborate.

It is an irony of fate that Roh, who made it to the highest office on a platform of clean government and reconciliation with the North, had to end life in ignominy.

A human rights lawyer, Roh took office in 2003 vowing to fight corruption.

"This is a truly unbelievable, lamentable and deeply sad event," president Lee Myung-bak, said in a statement.

Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-Jung said he had lost a "life-long companion, with whom I took part in struggles for democracy and shared 10 years of a democratic government".