SEOUL (AFP) - The head of South Korea's Olympic Committee has quit in a feud with the new administration of President Lee Myung-Bak just 100 days before the opening of the Beijing Games.

Kim Jong-Kil, who was appointed under the previous government and still had 10 months left of his official term, announced his resignation on Monday.

It came after the sports and culture ministry rejected his preferred candidate to be secretary general of the Korea Sports Council.

Kim's departure leaves the country without a sports head as Seoul seeks to win 10 golds and maintain its ranking among the top 10 in medal standings at the Olympics.

"I hope I will be the last sports chief who resigns after a change of government," he told journalists.

Kim, who had been appointed in February 2005, gave up all his posts as president of the Korea Olympic Committee, of the Korea Sports Council, of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee and of the Korea Taekwondo Association.

"If my uncomfortable ties with the government continued, it would be an obstacle to the preparations for the Olympic Games and the settlement of pending sports issues," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the ministry.

Minister Yu In-Cheon created a stir last month by publicly demanding that all appointees of the former government, such as heads of cultural and sports oganisations, resign when a new government takes office.

President Lee was sworn in on February 25.