Seoul: The head of the Korea Coast Guard has offered to resign following the death of an officer during a rescue operation. This development comes after President Lee Jae Myung called for an independent investigation into the incident amidst allegations of a potential cover-up.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Yong-jin submitted his resignation a few days after Assistant Inspector Lee Jae-suk, aged 34, tragically lost his life while attempting to rescue a man in his 70s stranded on a mudflat on the country's west coast. It was reported that Lee gave his life jacket to the man before he was swept away by the tide.

Commissioner General Kim expressed a deep sense of responsibility and stated, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility in connection with the president's remarks on the fallen officer. I am offering my resignation to help uncover the truth behind this incident and to contribute to building a new Coast Guard."

Earlier in the day, during a press conference, Lee's fellow officers stated that patrols should be conducted in pairs and claimed that the tragedy might have been avoided. They further alleged that their superiors instructed them not to disclose specifics about the operation.