A South Korean restaurant owner was found dead in the Philippines and local police have launched an investigation into the case, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Monday.

The 43-year-old man identified by his surname Lim was discovered inside his restaurant in Cebu in the early morning on Saturday. Police on the scene and witnesses said the victim had many bullets wounds.

The official said local police opened a probe into the case on the assumption that Lim may have been killed in a random robbery.

Last year a total of eight South Koreans were killed in the Southeast Asian country. This year, the tally stands at four. (Yonhap News)