Seoul
The prime minister of South Korea resigned this week in the face of popular outrage over an ill-timed game of golf. Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan played golf with some shady businessmen last month, on the very day the country was paralyzed by a railroad strike. “I apologize to the people and to hardworking government officials for my inconsiderate behavior,” he said. But that and two other public apologies failed to appease an electorate that was already annoyed with Lee because of his famous temper. The prime minister was too “fond of bawling out opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly,” Seoul’s Chosun Ilbo said in an editorial, noting that his rudeness helped turn political dialogue into “a veritable concerto of below-the-belt attacks.”
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