SEOUL - A MAN who last week became the first person convicted of marital rape in South Korea was found dead in an apparent suicide, police said.

The 42-year-old man was found hanged on Tuesday at his home in the southern city of Busan, police officer Kim Jong-moon said.

An initial forensic examination shows that the man, identified only by his surname Lim, killed himself, though no suicide note was found, the officer said.

His death came four days after he was sentenced to a suspended 30-month prison term for raping his 25-year-old Filipino wife at knifepoint.

The case marked the first time a man in traditionally male-dominated South Korea has been convicted of marital rape.

Lim had strongly complained about his conviction, claiming the rape occurred 'accidentally' while the couple fought and that their relationship was not good because she was negligent about housekeeping, news reports said.

Reports said the couple met through a marriage broker in 2006. -- AP