Kim Hee-beom, the first vice culture minister, has offered to resign for an undisclosed reason, the Culture Ministry said Thursday.

Kim submitted his resignation a week ago, but the resignation had yet to be accepted, it said, adding that he had not visited his office since then.

It is not yet known why he decided to step down. Sources say he has been in a feud with Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok, but the ministry did not disclose its official position on the reason for his resignation.

Kim Hee-beom was given the post in July last year while working as the South Korean consul general in Atlanta. Officials say he has carried out his duties without trouble for the last six months.

He worked as an acting culture minister for about a month after President Park Geun-hye abruptly dismissed the former minister, Yoo Jin-ryong.

Yoo later sparked controversy by alleging in a local media interview that Park was personally and unjustly involved in personnel changes of ministry officials. (Yonhap)