Prime Minister-designate Kim Tae-ho of the Republic of Korea resigned on Sunday amid allegations that he lied about his connections with a businessman convicted of bribery.

    Two other allies of President Lee Myung-bak, who were appointed as culture minister and minister of knowledge economy in a government reshuffle last month, also stepped down. During their parliamentary confirmation hearings earlier this month, opposition lawmakers assailed them with allegations of unethical behavior.

    The three nominees’ resignations cast doubt on Mr. Lee’s ability to vet the background of his political allies. They also served as a reminder of how widespread unethical behavior remained among the country’s power elite.

    Mr. Kim had claimed to have little personal ties with Park Yeon-cha, a businessman convicted of bribery last year. An old newspaper photo emerged over the weekend showing him holding hands with Mr. Park in a provincial event.

    <<<背景介绍

       韩国总理的位置多数情况下是走走形式。现年48岁的金台镐是韩国近40年来被提名的最年轻的总理，曾被誉为能加强政府与韩国青年一代沟通的新一代领导人。执政党在六月份的地方选举惨败，随后政府重组。8月8日，金台镐获总统李明博提名为新任总理。但金台镐的提名引起了韩国在野党的不满，曾召开国会听证会，抨击他偷税漏税、收受贿赂、参与不明金融交易。