2 South Korean Cabinet nominees resign

Two nominees for the first Cabinet of South Korea's president resigned Wednesday amid allegations of ethical lapses, an embarrassment for the new leader sworn in just two days ago.

Nam Joo-hong, picked to be unification minister for dealing with North Korea, and Park Eun-kyung, the nominee for environment minister, offered to quit and President Lee Myung-bak's accepted the resignations, spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.

They are the second and third Cabinet nominees to resign over allegations of real-estate speculation and other irregularities. His choice for gender equality minister was the first.

Nam and Park announced their decision Wednesday morning, "saying they do not want to give a burden to the new government and the president," the spokesman said.

Lee's choice for prime minister, Han Seung-soo, is also under a cloud after the nominee was found to have omitted an expensive apartment when reporting his personal assets.

On Tuesday, the opposition United Democratic Party, which forms the largest voting bloc in the National Assembly, delayed a vote on Han's appointment.

The political impasse has put Lee in the awkward situation of having to work with the Cabinet of his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun.

The National Assembly, although it can reject the pick for prime minister, can only offer an opinion on whether choices for other Cabinet posts are appropriate. But if parliament boycotts hearings, Lee has to wait up to 30 days after seeking the legislature's view to formally appoint the ministers.

The presidential spokesman said Lee had been weighing suggestions from leaders of his Grand National Party that he replace some of the appointees when Nam and Park expressed their intention to resign.

Local media have said Lee and his party were concerned the pair's nominations, unpopular with the public, might affect the party's chances in April's parliamentary elections.

"President Lee said the two made a difficult decision for the sake of the new government," the spokesman said.

"Now that the two have stepped down, I ask the National Assembly" for cooperation in approving the prime minister nomination and others so that the new government can start without a "vacuum in state affairs," the spokesman said.