File photo of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun leaves after his interrogation at the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office in Seoul in this May 1, 2009. Roh died on May 23, 2009, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. [Xinhua/AFP]

Former South Korean President Roh Moo- hyun died of external head injury after falling down a mountain at around local time 09:30 (0030 GMT) Saturday.

The ex-president is known to have jumped off a rock near his home at around local time 06:40 Saturday (2140 GMT Friday) while he was taking a hike with his guard.

Roh had severe external head injuries and died after being moved to a larger hospital in Busan from his hometown of Gimhae, Yonhap reported.

It is not confirmed whether the former president fell by accident or died after committing suicide, but a brief suicidal note was found after his death.

The suicidal note was mostly about how troubled he and his people had been and asked for a small tombstone near his hometown.

Earlier in the day, Roh's family lawyer and former aide, Moon Jae-in, told reporters that the ex-president left a short note to his family before he died, which makes a suicide more likely, South Korea's news channel YTN reported.