South Korean President Park Geun-hye yesterday accepted the resignation of her prime minister over a widening bribery scandal that has tainted senior members of her faltering administration.
Park was on a four-nation tour of South America when Lee Wan-koo offered to step down.
The decision was confirmed by an official from Park’s office just hours after her return.
Although the second-highest official in the country, the prime minister fills a largely ceremonial role in South Korea, where power is concentrated in the presidency.
However, the post carries symbolic weight and Lee’s departure after barely two months in the job is a fresh blow for Park.
Lee’s hand was forced by a scandal triggered by the suicide earlier this month of Sung Wan-jong, the former head of a bankrupt construction company.
In the dead man’s pocket, investigators found a note that listed the names of eight people — including the prime minister and presidential chief of staff Lee Byung-kee — alongside numbers that allegedly indicate bribery sums.
The suicide came as Sung was about to be questioned by prosecutors over allegations that he created a slush fund with embezzled company money to bribe politicians and government officials.
Although Lee Wan-koo had repeatedly protested his innocence, the pressure to step down intensified after the main opposition party said it would seek his formal impeachment.
The presidential office said earlier that Park, who on her return avoided the usual press briefing for reporters accompanying her on the flight, had been advised to rest for two days after complaining of stomach cramps and a sore throat.
In a statement, Park’s ruling Saenuri Party said it regretted the prime minister’s resignation.
“But it reflects the president’s firm determination to use this as the starting point for political reform,” the statement said.
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