South Korea's new Prime Minister nominee Lee Wan Koo listens to a question during a confirmation hearing in order to examine his qualification at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb 10, 2015. [Photo/IC] |
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's prime minister has offered to resign amid a bribery scandal about two months after he took up the country's No. 2 post.
Lee Wan Koo has been at the center of a corruption scandal that flared after a businessman killed himself earlier this month with a memo listing the names of high-profile figures he claimed to have bribed.
Businessman Sung Wan-jong told a local daily before his death he gave 30 million won ($27,390) to Lee in 2013. Lee has denied this.
Lee's office said Tuesday he conveyed his resignation offer Monday to President Park Geun-hye.
It wasn't known if Park would accept Lee's resignation offer.
South Korea's executive power is concentrated in the president but the prime minister leads the country if the president becomes incapacitated.