South Korean PM Resigns over Bribery Accusations

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye during the signing of agreements with her Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff (not pictured) at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, 24 April 2015. Photo: EPA

South Korean President Park Geun-hye accepted on Monday the resignation of Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, who had been accused of bribery.

Lee Wan-koo, who had been in office for slightly over two months, became the shortest serving prime minister of South Korea since the country became democratic in the late 1980s.

While the powers of the prime minister are largely ceremonial, it is the second-highest position in the government and its holder serves as deputy to the president, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Lee Wan-koo offered his resignation last week after he had been accused of accepting bribes amounting to USD 27 900 in illegal campaign funds during his 2013 run for the national assembly.

A businessman, who later committed suicide, accused Lee Wan-koo and other senior politicians of accepting bribes, but all of them have denied the accusations.

Park Geun-hye has not yet nominated a successor, who will be subject to intense parliamentary questioning.

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