Kim Un-yong of South Korea has resigned as vice president of the International Olympic Committee, IOC officials said.

IOC officials reported that Kim, 74, currently behind bars after being convicted of embezzlement, sent a letter to the IOC informing the committee of his decision.

In January, South Korea's Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling on Kim, sentencing him to two years in jail and a fine for embezzlement and bribe-taking.

He was convicted of embezzling 3.3 billion won (US$3.3 million) in public funds and accepting 788 million won in kickbacks while serving as head of several international sports organizations.

Kim was a longtime IOC member and once the most powerful figure in South Korean sports, and chaired a number of sports bodies such as the World Taekwondo Federation and the General Association of International Sports Federations.

In February, the IOC executive board recommended that Kim be expelled because he had "seriously tarnished the reputation of the Olympic movement."

IOC members had been due to vote on his expulsion at their session in July.