South Korean Defence Minister Yoon Kwang-ung reacts during a news conference on a shooting accident at a military base in Seoul June 19. (Reuters/file)

    SEOUL, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung offered to resign to take responsibility for last Sunday 's shooting rampage by a soldier which killed his eight colleagues, announced the South Korean Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

    "This morning, the defense minister expressed to the president his intention to resign, by accepting full responsibility for the incident," said Shin Hyun-don, a spokesman at the ministry.

    South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's spokesman Kim Man-soo said Wednesday afternoon Roh will make decision whether to accept Yoon's offer or not after careful consideration.

    A South Korean soldier went on a shooting spree in the early hours of last Sunday in an army guard post inside the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) bisecting South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Eight soldiers, including the platoon leader, were killed and two others wounded.

    According to initial investigation, the soldier, named Kim Dong-min, premeditated the incident Kim went on the shooting spree out of anger over his seniors, who bullied and verbally molested him several times, according to
the investigator.

    The incident shocked South Korean people and raised serious concern over the situation of discipline in the South Korean military.
 
    Yoon's offer came a day after South Korea's biggest opposition Grand National Party threatened to bring a non-confidence motion to the National Assembly on the minister.

    Yoon was tapped to the current post by Roh Moo-hyun in last July.

    South Korea carries out mandatory military system which requires healthy male citizen over 20 years old to serve in the military for 24-28 months.

    The South Korean troops were often revealed to have human rights abuses of rank-and-file soldiers by local media. Enditem