A badly decomposed body found surrounded by liquor bottles found last month was identified as that of Yoo Byung-Eun, the billionaire owner of the doomed Sewol ferry.

Yoo had been missing since shortly after the Sewol sank, killing more than 300 people, in April. His body was found in a field near the city of Suncheon, and a DNA test on the remains matched Yoo's brother. Near the body was a copy of Yoo's autobiography, the Agency France-Presse reports.

According to Suncheon authorities, the body is too decayed to pin down a cause of death. "We do not know yet whether it was a homicide or a suicide," said police chief Woo Hyung-Ho. "We are hoping that more detailed forensic analysis will shed light on this and on the exact time of death."

[Image via AP]