Yet another of President Park Geun-hye’s picks for her top deputy bit the dust Monday, as Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo submitted his resignation, succumbing to mounting pressure from his alleged involvement in a recent graft scandal.
Lee’s demise came a little more than a month after he vowed all-out government effort against corruption on March 12. Deceased businessman Sung Woan-jong ― who died in an apparent suicide on April 9 amid a corruption probe ― suspected that Lee initiated the investigation that targeted him, and told local media shortly before his death that he had given illegitimate money to Lee and seven other prominent politicians.
As the nation’s incumbent prime minster, Lee was the main point of attack in a hailstorm of criticism from the public and opposition following revelations about the graft scandal. Even the ruling Saenuri Party determined Monday that Lee should resign after a myriad of evidence disproved his claims of not having close relations with Sung.
Lee Wan-koo. (Yonhap)
“A commander in a ‘war against corruption’ fell in battle due to his own corruption, a misfortunate incident,” said Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy. The “war against corruption” refers to a slogan the premier was planning to use for the anti-corruption campaign, before scrapping the name just minutes before announcing the plan.
While it was widely expected that Lee would eventually quit, his abrupt announcement in the middle of the night surprised even some at the prime minister’s office.
“We’re just as shocked as rest of the country. There’s nothing we can really say at this moment,” an official from the office said.
It marks the fourth time Park’s pick for her second-in-command has been forced to quit due to a scandal; three premier-designates were denied the job, while Lee was forced to step down after only 63 days in office. Lee will retain his position as a ruling party lawmaker.
If Lee’s resignation is accepted by President Park, he would have served as prime minister for the shortest period in history, two days shorter than the 65 days that 1960s politician Heo Jeong served in the post. But since Park is expected to accept his resignation after returning from her Latin America tour next week, Lee’s tenure is likely to be slightly longer than Heo on paper.
In reality, Lee’s days as the nation’s premier is effectively over. He did not show up at Tuesdays’ Cabinet meeting ― which was to be presided over by him in Park’s absence ― and did not leave his Seoul residence as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Prime Minister’s office was quiet regarding Lee’s remaining schedule for the week, but some officials said it is likely that it will be canceled.
Lee’s resignation concludes a short but tumultuous tenure as the premier. When Park appointed the 64-year-old lawmaker in January, the initial reaction from rival parties was relatively favorable. It was considered a good sign, considering the past nomination fiasco that saw two consecutive premier candidates fall due to scandal.
But Lee was soon embroiled in a series of scandals, namely suspicion about him and his son dodging mandatary military duties, illegal real estate dealings and threatening reporters. The National Assembly eventually approved Lee, albeit by a slight margin in the lawmaker’s vote.
Lee’s unusually short term followed Kim Hwang-sik and Chung Hong-won, two of the longest-reigning prime ministers since 1987, when the direct presidential election was introduced. Only three ― including Kim ― stayed in office longer than Chung.
Chung offered to step down after last April’s ferry disaster ― which left more than 300 dead or missing ― but stayed in office until Lee took over, as other premier-designates were thwarted by scandals.
By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
