Reporter :

Our top story this morningPrime Minister Lee Wan-koo has offered to step down amid growing calls from both the ruling and opposition parties for his resignation over a snowballing bribery scandal.The prime minister's office said Lee who is suspected of accepting bribes from Sung Woan-jong, a business tycoon who committed suicide earlier this month, conveyed his intent to step down to President Park Geun-hye late Monday night.A ruling party official told Korea's Yonhap News Agency that Lee reached the decision after deep consideration despite the unfavorable circumstances with the president on the other side of the world.Officials are leaning towards the view that President Park will accept Lee's resignation when she returns home from her four-nation trip to South America next Monday.Meanwhile, Tuesday's Cabinet meeting will be presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Choi Kyung-hwan in place of Lee.Lee is accused of accepting roughly 27-thousand U.S. dollars in cash from the late businessman in 2013, when Lee was running for a seat in the National Assembly.Lee has flatly denied the allegation.