President set to reshuffle ministers, aides in Aug.

By Na Jeong-ju

Staff reporter

President Lee Myung-bak may conduct a sweeping reshuffle of the Cabinet and the presidential secretariat in August to gain fresh momentum for his reform drive, his aides said Monday.

The suggestion came as the governing camp is reeling from an unexpected defeat in the June 2 local elections, which had been widely viewed as a barometer for the general elections and the presidential election in 2012.

"Lee will hold in-depth discussions with ruling party leaders and his advisors in the coming weeks to find a fundamental solution," said Lee Dong-kwan, senior presidential secretary for public relations.

"The election results signal a significant change in the way he governs the nation and that we need new people to push new policies."

The secretary, however, stressed that Lee would not give up his "centrist pragmatism" aimed at embracing different ideological and social groups and focusing on middle-income earners and less-privileged people.

It is widely expected that Lee may announce a new Cabinet line-up after the National Assembly by-elections scheduled for July 28.

"Lee's economic reform is expected to gain momentum as his administration is stepping up its drive to enhance the country's growth potential and provide more job opportunities," another source from the presidential office said.

In a few weeks, Cheong Wa Dae is expected to chart a post-election roadmap aimed at creating momentum for ongoing state projects and his reform drive.

However, the road ahead will not be easy for the conservative leader.

Lee is coming under growing pressure to drop the controversial projects to refurbish four major rivers and transform Sejong City in South Chungcheong Province, originally planned as an administrative town, into an industrial complex.

Sources said the election defeat came as a shock to Lee and most Cheong Wa Dae staff as opinion polls conducted in the lead-up to the elections showed GNP candidates were winning in hotly-contested areas.

The governing party garnered six of the 16 mayoral and gubernatorial posts in the elections, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) won seven. In the 2006 elections, the then main opposition GNP won 12.

For the time being, Lee is expected to focus on reforming the military and law-enforcement authorities.

Last month, Lee indicated that he would conduct a restructuring of the country's defense systems, saying the sinking of the Navy vessel Cheonan in March showed that the country needs stronger armed forces.

The President also pledged to overhaul the prosecution and police, saying they have lost the trust of people due to a series of corruption scandals.

이 대통령, 8월 개각 예정

청와대 관계자는 월요일 이 대통령이 국정개혁의 드라이브를 계속 이어가기 위해 오는 8월 내각과 청와대 참모진을 전면 쇄신할 수도 있다고 밝혔다.

이 같은 발언은 2012년 총선과 대통령 선거의 바로미터라 불린 6.2 지방선거에서 여당이 예상치 못한 참패를 겪은 상황에서 나와 그 귀추가 주목된다.

이동관 청와대 홍보수석은 "대통령은 여당지도부와 청와대 실무진과의 논의를 통해 대응책을 찾을 것" 이라며 "이번 참패로 인해 대통령의 국정운영에 변화가 있을 것이며 새 인사를 통해 색다른 정책을 구성할 것" 이라고 말했다.

이 대변인은 그러나 이념적으로 다른 사회구성원들을 껴안으며 중산층과 빈곤층을 살피는 데 중점을 둔 '중도실용'을 포기하지 않을 것"이라고 강조했다.

이 대통령의 새로운 내각 개편은 7월 28일 예정된 국회의원 재보선 후 있을 것이라는 전망이 크게 돌고 있다.