Question:
South Korean Prime Minister Offers to Quit
By BO-MI LIM, Associated Press Writer
49 minutes ago
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's prime minister offered to resign Tuesday amid mounting opposition criticism for playing golf when he was expected to oversee the government's response to a railway strike, the president's spokesman said.
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Lee Hae-chan relayed his intention to step down to President Roh Moo-hyun, who just returned from a trip to several African countries, presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo told The Associated Press. Roh will decide on Lee's fate after receiving a full report on the scandal, Kim said.
Lee has been under fire from the opposition and public for golfing March 1, the first day of a nationwide walkout by railway workers.
Lee was off that day, a national holiday marking Korea's 1919 civil uprising against Japanese colonial rule, but he was heavily criticized because South Koreans expect high-level officials to work overtime during times of crisis. Lee, who took the job in June 2004, has since repeatedly publicly apologized over the incident.
The prime minister is largely a ceremonial job in South Korea where power is concentrated in the president's office. But as one of Roh's key allies, Lee is considered to have considerable influence over state affairs.
The resignation is an embarrassment for the Uri Party ahead of local elections in May, and party leaders had hinted Lee should step down to placate the public ahead of that vote.
The latest scandal wasn't the first time Lee was accused of hitting the links when critics said he should have been on the job. In April 2005, he was golfing during a wildfire and in July he was again playing when heavy rains buffeted the country's south.
Golf is widely popular among upper-class Koreans, who spend vast amounts on lessons, green fees and golf vacations.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060314/ap_on_..._prime_minister
Answer:
wow, this guy seems like he's obssessed with Golf, he should spend time playing it rather than being a politician...
Answer:
S.Korea prime minister to quit over golfing gaffe
By Jack Kim
Reuters
Tuesday, March 14, 2006; 5:18 AM
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Tuesday accepted the resignation of his prime minister, who faced calls to step down for playing golf with businessmen while a railway strike was causing transport chaos.
Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan had offered to step down earlier in the day, the presidential Blue House said in a statement. The incident comes as Roh is battling the lowest support ratings for his administration since it took power in 2003.
In South Korea's political system, executive power is vested with the president. But Roh, who campaigned on a pledge to share power, had given considerable authority to the prime minister.
Lee is expected to officially step down within a week, a government official said.
Several newspapers and politicians have called on Lee to quit for failing to attend to the national rail strike and instead playing golf with a group that included a businessman convicted of financial crimes and another under investigation for price fixing.
Lee met with Roh earlier in the day and Lee apologized for the incident and for causing trouble with careless conduct, the Blue House said.
Roh returned on Tuesday from a three-nation tour of Africa.
Independent political analyst Yu Chang-sun said the resignation will make it harder for Roh to implement his domestic policy agenda. Roh will be hard pressed to find a person of Lee's caliber, Yu said by telephone.
Lee, a five-term legislator and prime minister since June 2004, was largely responsible for the daily running of domestic policy and was considered one of the most powerful premiers in the country's history.
He oversaw the administration's efforts to boost the regional economy, reverse a sharply declining birth rate and reform a national pension plan that analysts said may not be financially sustainable.
Lee was also under to pressure to step down from members of his ruling Uri Party in order to avoid any damage to the progressive party as it battles local elections in districts across the country in May.
Lee has canceled his appearances for the next few days, including a meeting with business leaders on Wednesday and another with the ruling party on creating jobs, an official at the prime minister's office said by telephone.
Lee's office had a role to play in the rail strike because it involved the state-run national railway as well as the transport ministry, his critics said.
Lee was criticized previously for playing golf when South Korea had trouble mobilizing firefighters to extinguish a forest fire that engulfed a historic temple and again when large parts of the country were battling floods.
Roh had stood by Lee, saying few people shared his political ideals as closely as Lee did. Lee, a former democracy activist and later education minister, was widely expected to serve until Roh's single five-year term ends in early 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6031400124.html
