South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan resigned yesterday for playing golf this month instead of tending to a nationwide rail strike.
President Roh Moo-hyun, who returned yesterday from a trip to Africa, accepted Lee's offer to resign. A presidential spokesman said in Seoul that Roh had followed the recommendation of his ruling Uri Party, which had called for Lee to go.
Lee has been under increasing pressure to step down after he spent March 1, a national holiday, on a golf outing with business leaders instead of helping with the government's response to the strike which began that day.
In addition, the business leaders are suspected of trying to lobby the prime minister during their game, and one of them had served prison time for manipulating stock prices.
Since the golf outing, Lee, a reform-oriented politician who became prime minister in June 2004, has apologized three times. The latest apology came on Monday.
"I apologize for my inconsiderate behavior to the people and to hard-working government officials," he said during a meeting with senior government officials. "I realize that I have to be more prudent and considerate."
But the apologies and his vows to show better judgement in the future failed to stem the criticism and prop up flagging support for Lee, both from the public and his own Uri Party, as local elections loom in May.
The Uri Party welcomed Roh's decision.
"The president's acceptance of Lee's resignation is viewed as the correct decision as it reflects public opinion," a party spokesman said.
Inquiries into the golf outing in Busan had been launched by the party, the opposition and the presidential office. The opposition has also called for prosecutors to investigate.
In South Korea, power rests with the president, but Lee has become one of the most powerful prime ministers in South Korea's history and has taken over a number of domestic duties.
Lee's successor, whom Roh will appoint, was not immediately announced.
The rail strike lasted three days before workers went back to work on March 4. It caused most of the trains in the country to stop running, losses for companies reliant on rail transport and chaos for commuters.
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