By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak will replace Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and five or six Cabinet ministers late this week, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said Sunday.
Candidates for prime minister include former lawmaker Kim Chong-in, and Kang Hyun-wook, the former governor of North Jeolla Province, a source said.
The presidential office is also reviewing three to four other candidates, he said.
According to the source, around two lawmakers may join the Cabinet.
""The scale of the Cabinet reshuffle has not been fixed, but I believe it will be smaller than expected," the spokesman said.
Multiple government sources say the upcoming reshuffle is likely to affect the ministers of trade, defense, labor and the environment among others.
Also included among candidates for prime minister was Rep. Sim Dae-pyeong, co-leader of the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party (LFP), but Sim said he would be unable to accept any possible offer to take over the position. Sim, a former governor of South Chungcheong Province, was known to be positively considering joining the Cabinet but faced objections from LFP Co-Chairman Lee Hoi-chang, party sources said.
In a news conference, Sim strongly criticized Lee for leading the party only for his own interests, not for those of the party or the people.
An informed government source said retired general Kim Jong-hwan, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is likely to replace Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee.
Lee Hee-won, former deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, had also been mentioned, said the source.
Presidential chief of staff Chung Chung-gil is expected to retain his post, while presidential secretaries for civil, educational and social affairs are expected to be replaced, the source added.