President Lee Myung-bak is likely to accept the resignation of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung-hwan, an official from the presidential office said Saturday.

The official told reporters on condition of anonymity that he saw no possibility of Lee turning down Yu’s offer to resign.

Yu has served as minister of foreign affairs and trade since President Lee's inauguration in February 2008.

The reaction from the presidential office came shortly after the minister offered to resign, a day after Lee ordered his aides to investigate the foreign ministry's hiring process of Yu's daughter.

The ministry selected Yu’s daughter for a post handling free trade agreement affairs.

Minister Yu said he was sorry for sparking a controversy over the ministry’s hiring of his daughter, ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said.

Yu became embroiled in a controversy over the ministry’s alleged preferential treatment of the minister's daughter in the recent selection of a trade expert. The ministry denied the allegation.

His daughter, who had three years of work experience with the ministry previously, reportedly got a job offer from the ministry again on Aug. 31.

After the recruitment was made public through the media, bloggers criticized the foreign ministry for its allegedly benefiting the top diplomat’s daughter. Opposition parties urged Yu to resign.

Two of the five interviewers were foreign ministry officials. The remaining three were outside experts.