Kim Keun-ho, CEO of Korea Water Resources Corporation, or K-water, tendered his resignation to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a ministry official said Tuesday.

He has four months remaining on his contract, but has decided to step down so as to not “burden” the new administration inaugurated last month, officials said.

The key achievement of Kim, who has served K-water for the past five years, was the completion of the controversial four river restoration project, which was one of the top policy agendas pushed by the previous government. He also made efforts to export the nation’s advanced water management know-how to developing countries, such as Thailand.

Analysts predicted that CEOs of big state-run companies, appointed under the previous government, might take similar action, depending on how the new government treats Kim’s resignation.

(jyseo@heraldcorp.com)