President Park Geun-hye expressed regret Tuesday over the resignation of Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo over a bribery scandal and pledged to root out corruption and pursue political reform.
  

"People will not condone anyone involved in the corruption scandal," Park said in a message read by Kim Sung-woo, senior presidential press secretary. "I am determined to eradicate the time-honored irregularities and corruption so we could achieve a new political reform."
  

Park could not appear in public due to an illness. She is still receiving medical attention due to stomach cramps and a sore throat after her recent trip to South America.
  

Lee is accused of taking 30 million won ($27,000) from a businessman at the center of the bribery scandal in 2013, when Lee was running for a parliamentary seat.
  

Before hanging himself earlier this month, the businessman, Sung Wan-jong, left behind a memo listing the names of Lee and seven other high-profile politicians he claimed to have bribed. All but one listed on the memo are close associates of the president.
  

Still, Lee has flatly denied the allegation.
  

Park called on the prosecution to carry out a thorough probe into the scandal and said the ruling and opposition parties should launch an independent counsel probe if any suspicion is left after the prosecution's investigation.
  

Park also called for the truth behind two special pardons Sung received in 2005 and 2007 when President Roh Moo-hyun was in office, noting the special pardons undermined the rule of law.
  

Her remarks are seen as a push to punish not only the ruling party politicians but also those from the opposition party if they are found guilty of bribery.
  

Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party have raised suspicions of irregularities involving Sung's pardons given under the Roh government of the now major opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.
  

In South Korea, presidents usually grant special pardons in commemoration of major national holidays, though the practice has long been under fire for being abused to give favors to their friends and associates jailed for corruption.
  

"This is the last chance to sever the cycle of corruption and eradicate it in our politics," Park said. (Yonhap)