SKorean minister offers to quit over power outages
SEOUL, South Korea
SOUTH Korea’s economy minister has offered to resign in the wake of massive power outages that hit the country this month.
The Ministry of Knowledge Economy says Minister Choi Joong-kyung told President Lee Myung-bak that he intends to quit shortly after a Cabinet Council meeting yesterday.
The presidential Blue House says Lee has accepted Choi’s resignation offer but asked him to remain in the post until a successor is appointed.
A rare September heatwave caused several hours of power outages around South Korea, trapping hundreds of people in elevators, shutting down traffic lights and halting factories. The outages affected hundreds of thousands of homes across South Korea.
Choi has apologised for failing to be adequately prepared for the surge in demand.
