SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accepted the resignation of the Oceans Minister on Thursday after Chun Jae-soo said he was stepping down to focus on disproving claims he received illegal payments from the Unification Church.
Chun called the claims “completely false” and said he had offered to resign to avoid hurting the work of his ministry and Lee’s government.
Local media in recent days have quoted unidentified sources as saying that a former Unification Church official told prosecutors about payments to members of parliament from Lee’s Democratic Party including Chun. The reports did not say how much money Chun was alleged to have received.
Chun said this week that he would use all legal means to hold accountable “false reports and malicious distortions.”
Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja is on trial on charges that she bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee in return for business favors. Han has denied the allegations.
Chun said it was the “right thing to do” to step down to focus on addressing the allegations, which he said were “absurd” and “absolutely groundless.”
Lee had accepted Chun’s resignation, Lee’s office said on Thursday afternoon.
Lee has called for tough investigations into suspected improper links between religious groups and politicians regardless of party affiliation, without naming specific religious entities.
Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is also on trial on corruption charges.