Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup offered to step down Friday amid mounting criticism of his controversial appointment and departure that came despite the fact that he was subject to an investigation. Lee has been under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he was being investigated for alleged interference in a military probe into a Marine's death and had been banned from leaving the country before it was lifted for his departure. Lee returned home last Thursday, 11 days after he assumed the post in Canberra, to attend a defense cooperation meeting of South Korea's ambassadors to six countries, but questions arose that the meeting could have been organized to give Lee a pretext to come back home. Lee delivered his intent to resign to the foreign minister Friday, his lawyer, Kim Jae-hoon, told reporters. Lee plans to stay in Seoul even after the ambassadors' meeting ends to "strongly respond to all procedures," Kim quoted him as saying. The ambassador "offered his resignation to the foreign min ister and asked the minister to make sure the resignation will be accepted," he said. Kim repeated that Lee has continued to call for the anti-corruption investigation office to quickly summon him for questioning, but he still has not heard from the office. Lee's resignation offer came before South Koreans go to the polls on April 10 to elect lawmakers. Some have speculated that the presidential office ordered Lee to return in haste as public sentiment is worsening in the run-up to the elections. Source: Yonhap News Agency
