A South Korean judge who handled former first lady Kim Keon-hee's appeals trial on corruption charges was found dead near a Seoul court early Wednesday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Police discovered judge Shin Jong-o's body on a flower bed near the Seoul High Court compound in southern Seoul at around 1 a.m. local time.

According to the report, a suicide note was apparently found at the scene. Police are investigating the exact cause of his death, including the possibility that Shin jumped to his death.