All Presidential Aides Tender Resignations

By Kim Yon-se

Staff Reporter

All seven senior secretaries to President Lee Myung-bak tendered their resignations en masse Friday, while Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and other Cabinet members are also likely to step down.

President Lee is expected to name new ministers and secretaries next week.

The governing Grand National Party (GNP) proposed that more politicians, not professors, be appointed to the Cabinet.

The collective resignation offers came following the worsening public backlash over the administration's ``poor'' beef deal with the United States.

Presidential chief of staff Yu Woo-ik, who delivered the resignations to President Lee, also offered to resign.

The seven include presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.

``Chief of staff Yu has already offered to step down twice. We, seven senior secretaries also can no longer stand idle in view of the worsening domestic political situation,'' Lee said.

As well as Yu, some of the secretaries tendered their resignation, he said adding that: `` President Lee rejected those.'' Other Cheong Wa Dae officials expect the President to accept the resignations selectively.

In late May, President Lee expressed his willingness to dismiss some ministers and secretaries in a bid to stem the crisis triggered by the decision to resume U.S. beef imports.

Among the Cabinet members said to be most likely dismissed are Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun, Health and Welfare Minister Kim Soung-yee and Education Minister Kim Doh-yeon.

But opposition parties including the United Democratic Party (UDP) have warned that a Cabinet reshuffle without holding beef deal ``renegotiations'' with the United States will only worsen the situation.

Some lawmakers of the GNP asked Prime Minister Han and presidential chief of staff Yu to take responsibility for the administrative crisis.

President Lee's support has fallen to the 16 percent range 40 days after his summit with U.S. President George W. Bush in mid-April.

Critics claim Lee is spending his time improving relations with the United States and large conglomerates instead of serving the Korean people.

Lee, who marked 100 days in office on June 3, is the first Korean President forced to apologize to the nation so soon after his inauguration.

kys@koreatimes.co.kr