SEOUL, Dec 11 (Reuters) – South Korean Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo on Thursday expressed his intention to step down so ‍he can focus on disproving claims he received illegal payments from the Unification Church.

Calling the claims “completely false,” Chun told reporters he was offering to resign to avoid hurting the ‌work of his ministry and President ‌Lee Jae Myung’s government.

Local media reports 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.

Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja ‍is on trial on charges that she bribed former first lady Kim Keon Hee in return

See Full Page