Lee Sang-in, acting chief of South Korea's state broadcasting regulator, voluntarily stepped down Friday ahead of the National Assembly's planned vote on his impeachment motion.

The main opposition Democratic Party, which has the majority of seats in the National Assembly, tabled a motion to impeach Lee, apparently aimed at blocking the Korea Communications Commission from taking control of public broadcaster MBC.

President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted Lee's resignation offer, his office said.

"We express serious regret over the actions of the opposition party, which is trying to cripple the KCC overseeing not only broadcasting but also IT and communications policies," the presidential office said in a statement.

Lee has been leading the KCC since its chair Kim Hong-il voluntarily resigned earlier this month as opposition parties were pushing for an impeachment vote against him. (Yonhap)