South Korea's entire cabinet offers to resign
President Lee Myung-bak is said to have accepted some of the resignations
Tuesday, 10, Jun 2008 09:45
South Korea's entire cabinet offered to resign today over an unpopular deal to resume US beef imports.
The unpopular beef deal has sparked massive street protests against the government which has only been in office for three months.
A spokesman at the prime minister's office said on Tuesday: "The prime minister offered the cabinet's resignation at the regular meeting this morning [with president Lee Myung-bak]."
Local media suggests that Mr Lee is willing to accept the resignation of at least three ministers, with the farm, education and health ministers seen as the most likely to go.
The Yonhap news agency quotes an unnamed source at the prime minister's office as saying: "The prime minister offered the resignations for the entire cabinet to take responsibility over the beef saga".
South Korea has recently agreed to resume imports of beef from the US, which were suspended in 2003 due to an outbreak of mad cow disease.
Protestors claim the government is placing the public's health at risk.
In a move to ease the public's concern the government asked the US not to export beef from cattle over the age of 30 months.