SK foreign minister offers his resignation
Source: Agencies |
September 5, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SOUTH Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan has offered to resign amid accusations of nepotism, an official said yesterday.
Yu made his offer to President Lee Myung-bak after he came under fire when his ministry hired his daughter for a midlevel post handling free trade affairs.
Yu's daughter, who had worked as a contractor at the foreign ministry's trade bureau for three years before quitting last year, was rejected along with seven other applicants when she applied for a contract job in July.
Then, earlier this week, she was hired for the same post ahead of five other applicants.
Yu had been under mounting public fire over the controversial hiring, even after he offered a public apology and removed his daughter from the job on Friday.
Presidential spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung confirmed that Lee was informed of the resignation offer, but she did not say whether the president will accept it.
Yu said he was "sorry to have caused trouble to the public," over his daughter's hiring, his spokesman said, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Lee, who has ordered a thorough audit into the hiring process, will likely accept his resignation, Yonhap said.
The resignation offer comes at a crucial time for South Korea as it is preparing to host the summit of the Group of 20 rich and developing economies in November. It also comes amid diplomatic efforts to restart stalled talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
Yu made his offer to President Lee Myung-bak after he came under fire when his ministry hired his daughter for a midlevel post handling free trade affairs.
Yu's daughter, who had worked as a contractor at the foreign ministry's trade bureau for three years before quitting last year, was rejected along with seven other applicants when she applied for a contract job in July.
Then, earlier this week, she was hired for the same post ahead of five other applicants.
Yu had been under mounting public fire over the controversial hiring, even after he offered a public apology and removed his daughter from the job on Friday.
Presidential spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung confirmed that Lee was informed of the resignation offer, but she did not say whether the president will accept it.
Yu said he was "sorry to have caused trouble to the public," over his daughter's hiring, his spokesman said, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Lee, who has ordered a thorough audit into the hiring process, will likely accept his resignation, Yonhap said.
The resignation offer comes at a crucial time for South Korea as it is preparing to host the summit of the Group of 20 rich and developing economies in November. It also comes amid diplomatic efforts to restart stalled talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
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