Lee to replace at least 5 ministers this week
By Na Jeong-ju
President Lee Myung-bak is expected to replace at least five Cabinet ministers this week in an effort to seek fresh momentum for his policy agenda, his aides said Monday.
The forecast came as the ruling camp is reeling from a defeat in last week’s by-elections amid signs of a rift inside the Grand National Party (GNP) over how to reform its leadership and deal with the challenge from liberals.
“The Cabinet reshuffle could take place this week. We are reviewing qualifications of candidates for more than five posts,” an aide said on condition of anonymity.
“After that, there will also be a shakeup of the presidential staff to ensure a smooth transition and closer policy coordination with the GNP.”
Speculation has been circulating that presidential chief of staff Yim Tae-hee offered to resign to take responsibility for the election defeat.
Potential candidates for Yim’s successor include Park Hyung-joon, special advisor to Lee for social affairs; former ambassador to China Yu Woo-ik; and Song Jeong-ho, head of the Lee Myung-bak and Kim Yoon-ok Foundation, which was set up last year and uses the first couple’s donation of personal assets for scholarships and welfare programs.
Sources say Lee may replace Strategy and Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun, who has repeatedly said he wants to quit.
Lee’s policy planning chief Baek Yong-ho and GNP lawmaker Yoon Jin-sik, a member of the National Assembly Committee on Strategy and Finance, are among the top candidates for the next finance minister.
The reshuffle is also likely to affect top posts at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Unification.
Lee’s aides ruled out the possibility that the conservative leader will use the Cabinet shakeup as leverage to make a breakthrough in the current political deadlock, saying integrity and competency will be the top priorities in selecting the new ministers.
“Regardless of the election results, we will continue the policy of centrist pragmatism to appeal to a broader base of voters and better serve the needs of middle-income earners and the less-privileged,” a spokesman said.
Some observers have advised Lee to pick new people from a broader spectrum regardless of their academic background or birthplace to draw more supporters and promote national harmony.
Lee is also facing calls to strengthen the role of the prime minister to share the burden of state management, set up a watchdog to monitor senior government officials and their relatives, and strengthen communication with ordinary people.
“There is no doubt that the ruling camp needs new figures to overcome the current difficulties and prepare for the future. However, we need some time to find them and evaluate their qualifications,” another aide said.
Following the election defeat, GNP Chairman Ahn Sang-soo and all other members of the party’s decision-making Supreme Council offered to resign en masse. The party will form an emergency committee to pick new leaders and create a fresh policy roadmap.