Kim Tae-hyo, senior presidential secretary for external strategy, on Thursday offered to resign, taking responsibility for controversy over the Seoul government’s push for a military pact with Japan amid public opposition.

Kim is suspected of influencing Seoul’s decision to ink the General Security of Military Information Agreement and Acquisition with Tokyo by the end of June. The former political science professor has been one of the most influential security advisers to President Lee Myung-bak.

As the government appeared to be racing for the deal, civic groups and political circles called on it to take more time to examine it or scrap it.

Critics argue that it is not the right time for deepened military cooperation with Japan as Koreans still have bitter memories of the island country’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

Despite opposition from political circles and some of the public, Seoul plans to sign the deal, which it says will help glean information on the movements of the North Korean military.

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae is unlikely to name his replacement, sources said. Chun Young-woo, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security, is expected to take up his job.

Kim had led a host of high-profile security and defense projects. Apart from the information-sharing deal with Japan, Kim was involved in the negotiations over revising the Korea-U.S. pact that bans Seoul from developing ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 km.

Kim also led the efforts to enhance ties with Myanmar as the international community has begun paying attention to the resource-rich country that has recently taken big steps toward democracy and economic reform.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)