Democratic Party(DP) floor leader Kim Byung-kee has resigned amid a series of allegations involving him and his family.

At a party leadership meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kim apologized, acknowledging that his conduct had fallen short of public expectations and that he bore full responsibility.

He said remaining in his post would only burden the ruling party and the Lee Jae Myung administration, as the controversy risked overshadowing his duties and distracting from the government’s agenda.

Kim added that although he found it difficult to accept a situation in which suspicions were amplified and consumed as facts, he could not allow efforts to clarify the allegations to undermine the DP’s responsibility to support the administration.

His resignation comes amid mounting accusations, including claims that he accepted a luxury hotel stay from Korean Air, that his spouse misused district council corporate expenses, and that aides were mobilized to assist his son, who works at the National Intelligence Service.

Kim had previously rejected calls to step down, but his decision appears to have been prompted by revelations that he allegedly failed to act on bribery suspicions involving a fellow party lawmaker during the 2022 local election nomination process, when he served as secretary of the party’s Seoul nomination committee.