Two nominees for South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's first Cabinet resigned yesterday following allegations of ethical lapses, Lee's spokesman said, an embarrassment for the new leader sworn in just two days ago.
Nam Joo-hong, nominee for unification minister dealing with North Korea, and Park Eun-kyung, nominee for environment minister, offered to quit and Lee accepted the resignations, spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.
They are the second and third ministers-designate for the new Cabinet to resign because of allegations of real estate speculation and other irregularities.
On the eve of Lee's inauguration on Monday, the nominee for gender equality minister also stepped down over allegations she engaged in real estate speculation.
Nam and Park "conveyed their intention to voluntarily step down this morning, saying they do not want to give a burden to the new government and the president," the spokesman said.
The opposition United Democratic Party had demanded Lee replace the two, boycotting confirmation hearings for them.
Lee's choice of prime minister, Han Seung-soo, is also under a cloud after the nominee was found to have omitted an expensive apartment when reporting his personal assets.
On Tuesday, the opposition party, which forms the largest voting bloc in the National Assembly, delayed a vote on Han's appointment until after tomorrow following internal debates on whether to endorse the nomination.
Meanwhile, the nation's former tax chief was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison yesterday for taking bribes from a junior official seeking a promotion, a Busan District Court spokesman said.
The court also ruled that Jeon Goon-pyo, a former head of the National Tax Service, must pay a fine of 79.4 million won (US$84,000), which will be given to the Treasury, the spokesman said.
The sum is the same amount he received in kickbacks from Jung Sang-gon, then a regional tax chief in Busan, between July 2006 and January last year, the spokesman said.
Jeon, who has denied the charges, was expected to appeal the ruling, Yonhap news agency said.
Jung was given four years for bribing Jeon and receiving 100 million won from a building contractor for helping him avoid a tax investigation, a court official said.
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