Presidential chief of staff to tender resignation

President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that the ruling party's defeat in this week's by-elections should be taken seriously, and the government and the party should make greater efforts to care for ordinary people, his spokesman said.

It was Lee's first reaction after his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) suffered a bruising defeat in Wednesday's parliamentary and local by-elections. The GNP won only one of the three key posts up for grabs. Its most painful loss was the defeat in its stronghold of Bundang, south of Seoul, which was won by opposition leader Sohn Hak-kyu.

All members of the GNP's Supreme Council, the party's highest decision-making body, decided to step down en mass from their party posts to take responsibility for the election defeat.

"We have to take the will of the people demonstrated in this election gravely and fearfully," Lee said at a meeting of senior secretaries, according to his spokesman Hong Sang-pyo. "The government and the ruling party should take it as an opportunity to get themselves reborn."

Lee said the election results reminded him that it is important to learn what is on the people's minds, adding that ordinary people are dissatisfied with the government despite its efforts to help them.

"From a broader viewpoint, I think the people's will has always been right," Lee was quoted as saying. "We have to take the people's will gravely while humbly reviewing what we lacked."

Lee also said he would put in greater efforts to enhance the economy for ordinary people, including creating jobs.

Lee is expected to conduct a Cabinet reshuffle soon, according to political watchers.

Hong said that Lee is "weighing seriously" the issue, and said he cannot predict when the reshuffle will come and how many ministers will be replaced.

Yim Tae-hee, presidential chief of staff, suggested that Lee should give the presidential office a fresh look, saying he and other senior secretaries feel responsibility for the election defeat, according to the spokesman.

The remark was seen as meaning that senior secretaries are ready to resign to give Lee a free hand to reorganize the presidential office.

Hong said that the president is also thinking seriously about reshuffling Cheong Wa Dae. (Yonhap)