S.Korean president accepts PM's resignation

South Korean President Park Geun- hye on Monday accepted Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo's resignation offer after coming back to Seoul earlier in the day from her tour to Latin American nations, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Lee offered to resign last Monday as the country's second- highest administrative post amid the growing suspicion over his involvement in a bribery scandal. Lee is scheduled to deliver a farewell speech to the nation at about 6:10 p.m. local time.

Lee's resignation came amid allegations that he received 30 million won (28,000 U.S. dollars) in bribes from a businessman who killed himself on April 9.

Sung Wan-jong, the former ruling party lawmaker and businessman who ran the now-bankrupt construction firm, left a brief memo that listed eight heavyweight politicians, including Lee and current presidential chief of staff Lee Byung-kee, alongside currency figures.

Prosecutors formed a special team to investigate the scandal, but concerns emerged that Lee as the sitting prime minister may block the probe into himself as he receives prosecution reports on how the investigation goes on.

Lee, who took office in February, would become the country's shortest-serving prime minister in history.

The country's second-highest administrative post turned out to be hard to get and more difficult to maintain.

The first prime minister candidate for the Park Geun-hye government withdrew in January 2013 amid controversy over his property speculation and abusing his former post as chief justice of the constitutional court.

Chung Hong-won, the first prime minister under Park, offered to step down after the Sewol ferry disaster, but he maintained the post as two other candidates withdrew amid controversy over their past wrongdoings and wrong perception of history. Endi