South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo offered his resignation on Monday night to President Park Geun-hye who is on a four-nation tour of South America.

The Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday that Lee had expressed his intention to resign to the president after considerable thought, according to Korea's (KBS WORLD) website.

As a result, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Kyung-hwan is expected to preside over a planned cabinet meeting Tuesday at the Government Complex in Seoul in place of the prime minister.

President Park is expected to make a decision on the resignation after she returns to Seoul on April 27.