Odd News

Favor of golf game kills political life of S. Korean PM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-14 19:22

Twenty-one months ago, when Lee Hae- chan took office as South Korea's prime minister, he may not expect his political life will be ended due to his favor of golf games.

On Tuesday, 54-year-old Lee stepped down from the premier post, paying great price for his hobby.

Lee has been at a center of criticism since earlier this month for he played golf with a group of businessman on March 1 in Busan, when a nationwide strike of railway workers began. The day is also a public holiday to mark a 1919 mass uprising for independence against Japanese colonial rule.

Even worse, one of Lee's golf partners was found to have criminal records. The businessman, head of a flour mill company, was reportedly ruled by the Fair Trade Commission to pay 3.5 billion won (3.58 million U.S. dollars) in financial penalty for illegal business activities.

Local media and opposition parties widely raised the possibility the flour businessman was lobbying the prime minister during the golf game to avoid the penalty. The opposition parties all demanded Lee to step down.

Controversy intensified after the golf game was found involved betting. Three businessmen in Lee's foursome said the amount of money betted was 400,000 won (410 dollars) and that one of them paid for all the expenses.