4 Asian Leaders that Resign Posts after Failing Duties

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - When government officials fail to carry out their duties or achieve promised goals, some choose to resign as a form of accountability. Each of these resignation cases illustrates how world leaders face failure.

Citing various sources, the following are four government officials in Asian countries who resigned from their posts after admitting their failure during their time at their respective governments as of 2024.

1. Choi Joong-kyung (South Korea)

Choi offered to step down from his post as South Korea’s Minister of Knowledge Economy in 2011 as a form of responsibility for nationwide blackouts on September 15, 2011. South Korea’s president accepted the resignation offer, saying it was regrettable that Choi had to take "moral responsibility" even though he was not directly accountable.

Choi's resignation offer came after the prime minister's office concluded a week-long investigation that government mistakes and "miscalculations" led to a massive power outage that affected over 2 million homes across South Korea at the time. 

2. Naoto Kan (Japan)

The then Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, announced his resignation in August 2011. Public support for the former PM increasingly weakened amid widespread criticisms of his handling of the aftermath of Japan’s tsunami and earthquake.

3. Chiu Wen-ta (Taiwan)

Taiwan's Health Chief, Chiu Wen-ta, resigned in October 2014 due to a tainted oil scandal. He decided to resign because the investigation had been completed. Chiu also extended his apologies to the public in a statement.

4. Yukio Hatoyama (Japan)

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in 2010 that he would resign, after many calls for resigning from Hatoyama’s Democratic Party. Previously, the Japanese Democratic Party led by Hatoyama won a sweeping victory, an outcome hailed by many as a revolution in Japanese politics.

With the promise of a cleaner government, Hatoyama sought to change the political dynamics in Japan by taking power away from bureaucrats and granting more to politicians and local governments. However, soon afterward, accusations of illegal campaign financing emerged that tarnished his government's image. Some of his cabinet members were investigated for corruption.

SUCI SEKARWATI | CHINA DAILY | KOREA TIMES | CNN

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