On April 20, Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, 65, engulfed in the Sung Wan-jong list scandal, expressed his intention to resign to President Park Geun-hye, currently touring Latin America. Reportedly, President Park will make the final decision on whether to accept Lee's resignation after she returns on April 27.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "It is true that Prime Minister Lee expressed his wishes to step down." The Office of the Prime Minister also officially confirmed Lee's plans to resign.

This day in a phone conversation with the Kyunghyang Shinmun, a senior Saenuri Party member said, "From what I know, he (Lee) decided to resign and conveyed his thoughts to the president." Thus the cabinet meeting scheduled to be chaired by Lee on April 21 will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Kyung-hwan.

Earlier this day, the Saenuri Party leaders discussed the future of the prime minister and agreed that a voluntary resignation before the president's return was necessary. In fact, they agreed to urge Lee to "voluntarily" resign. It appears they changed direction from their original position--a decision after the president's return--due to the pressure from three factors: the deteriorating public opinion triggered by Prime Minister Lee's constant retracting of his words; the increase of demand for Lee's resignation within the ruling party; and the New Politics Alliance for Democracy's move to submit a request for Lee's dismissal. A sense of crisis that it would be difficult to recover the drive for state administration if they put off the issue of Lee until Park's return also seemed to have exerted some influence.

The Saenuri Party leaders held a private meeting after a meeting on the by-election at Gwanak District 2 in Seoul this morning and exchanged such views. In a phone conversation, a key figure in the party said, "It is true that we discussed that (Lee's resignation before April 27), but we did not make any decision."

During the meeting the leaders of the party shared the thought that it would be "the sooner the better" as to the timing of Lee's resignation. Reportedly, they all agreed that Lee had lost all credibility to perform his tasks as the prime minister due to suspicions of "ever changing excuses" triggered by Lee's explanations.

As voices calling for an early resignation spread within the party, Prime Minister Lee was significantly pressured from the ruling party as well to make a decision. A group of lawmakers, Achimsori (Sound of the Morning) said, "Prime Minister Lee should express his plans for his future before the president returns to Korea. The time calls for a decision by the second in command over state administration."

The New Politics Alliance for Democracy officially announced plans to submit a request for the dismissal of the prime minister. At a meeting of the party's supreme council at Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province this morning, party leader Moon Jae-in announced, "We will submit a request for the dismissal of the prime minister in order to ensure a fair investigation and to minimize the absence in state administration." On April 21, the opposition party will gather the opinions of its lawmakers at a general meeting and officially report the results at the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Lee notified that he would not attend the ceremony for the opening of Daegu Metro Line 3, which he was scheduled to attend this coming April 23.