S. Korea's defence minister nominee resigns in fresh blow to new president
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South Korean President Park Geun Hye salutes the national flag during a ceremony to celebrate the March First Independence Movement Day, the anniversary of the 1919 uprising against Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul, on March 1, 2013. In a fresh blow to President Park, her nominee for defence minister stepped down on Friday, March 22, 2013 at a time of elevated military tensions with North Korea. -- PHOTO: AP
SEOUL (AFP) - In a fresh blow to South Korea's new president Park Geun Hye, her nominee for defence minister stepped down on Friday at a time of elevated military tensions with North Korea.
Ever since his nomination, retired four-star general Kim Byung Kwan has been dogged by allegations of wrongdoing related to his recent stint working as a broker for an arms trading firm.
More recently, new allegations surfaced regarding hidden stock assets in a Myanmar natural gas company.
"As of now, I am resigning as defence minister nominee for the smooth management of state affairs," Gen Kim said in a statement.
