Parties Trade Attacks Over Reshuffle
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
The main opposition Democratic Party Wednesday called the submission of resignations by seven ranking officials of the education ministry a precursor to a massive personnel shake-up in government ministries.
``Rumors have it that the officials were forced to resign, indicating all director general-level government officials at ministries will face a similar fate soon,'' DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said.
A source at the presidential office said on condition of anonymity that the en masse resignation at the education ministry was the start of a massive shake-up of the ministry. ``We are going to overhaul the ministry,'' he said.
Three other ranking officials of the National Tax Service also expressed their willingness to quit.
Chung accused President Lee Myung-bak of being behind the alleged forced resignations of ranking government officials, calling the move the blackmail against government employees who have worked for the general public.
``Government employees are mandated to work for the public, not the sitting president,'' the DP leader said.
Multiple sources confirmed that the presidential office perceived the education ministry had not been supportive of President Lee's reform drive.
President Lee unveiled a set of competition-oriented reform measures after he won the presidential election last December.
The now-defunct presidential transition team pledged to introduce English immersion programs in secondary education.
It had to reverse the plan after facing severe backlash from teachers and parents who argued the measure would contribute to soaring household spending on private education.
Earlier, the Lee administration announced the hiring of Koreans proficient in speaking English for teaching jobs in public schools despite lacking teaching certificates.
The reform measure met opposition from officials inside the education ministry who claimed that those without teaching certificates are not qualified to teach.
Polarizing views on the revision of modern and contemporary history in school textbooks between the two sides are also cited as having played a role in the deteriorating relationship between the presidential office and the education ministry.
Some presidential secretaries are known to share the view that high-ranking officials at the education ministry hold back the reform drive even after the government change.
In a related move, governing Grand National Party (GNP) floor leader Hong Joon-pyo complained, saying there was a government change but no policy change.
His remark was construed as referring to the need for a massive shake-up in overall government ministries.
Rep. Chin Soo-hee of the GNP supported the observation in an interview, arguing the internal shake-up in the education ministry was somewhat overdue and it should have taken place earlier.
``I think a similar reform should take place in other government ministries,'' she said.