President to Reshuffle Ministers
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak is expected to unveil measures ― including a reshuffle of ministers and presidential secretaries ― to calm a public backlash over a series of blunders his 100-day-old administration has made.
It is speculated that the ministers for agriculture; health, welfare and family affairs; and education & science; Chung woon-chun, Kim Soung-yee and Kim Do-yeon, respectively will be relieved of their posts for the policy mistakes. One or two other Cabinet members may be additionally included in the reshuffle, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Lee is also considering naming a special advisor for media affairs to activate two-way communication between the President and the people, it said.
He is also expected to unveil measures to help the people cope with higher oil and rising raw material prices.
On Monday, Lee will hold a meeting with governing Grand National Party (GNP) Chairman Kang Jae-sup at the presidential office to discuss details about the reshuffle.
A Cheong Wa Dae source indicated Sunday that President Lee may prepare ``powerful cold pills to cure headache, stop runny nose and illness from fatigue.''
The source did not say when the measures will come out, but it is speculated that it will be before Friday. He added that the Lee is preparing for fundamental measures to tide over the current public outcry, adding that the President will never adopt ``stop-gap, cosmetic measures.''
Despite the current trouble, he said Lee does not need to take measures to ``treat patients in the terminal cancerous stage.''
He said the President will hold a Town Hall meeting with the people, which will be broadcast by KBS next Monday.
President Lee has been under pressure to renegotiate the beef import deal with the United States.
Though Cheong Wa Dae plans to announce other measures in a bid to placate the angry public this week, the possibility that the administration will call on the U.S. government to hold renegotiations on the beef imports is low.
The presidential office sees the current public backlash as attributable to the hasty resumption of American beef imports, economic hardship linked to rising oil prices, as well as a dislike for the appointment of rich, Korea University graduates, Somang churchgoers and southwestern regional figures to key government posts. Lee hails from the church, attended the university, and is from that region.
President Lee's apparent subservient attitude during his Camp David meeting with President George W. Bush also hurt the pride of Koreans, a Western diplomat said.
Tens of thousands of protestors, who were frustrated by Lee's alleged unwillingness toward renegotiations, shouted ``Lee Myung-bak! Step Down!'' near the presidential office on Sunday.
Cheong Wa Dae officials said they have gone into 24-hour work mode to come up with contingency plans.
Protestors say any government measure excluding renegotiations will not stop their candlelit vigils, which were launched May 2.
``I think the President makes believe that he does not know what the people really want,'' said college student Cho Gye-gap, who joined the rally near the presidential office from late Saturday to early Sunday.
The majority of Koreans are strongly urging the government to block meat from U.S. cattle aged over 30 months from being imported, via renegotiations.
Seoul fully opened the beef market to Washington in mid-April when Lee was visiting the U.S. for his summit with Bush.