By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye is now expected to focus mainly on reshuffling her Cabinet which will then be led by a newly-appointed prime minister.
The presidential office spokesman Min Kyung-wook said Monday after the televised address that the president would consider appointing a new prime minister and reorganizing the Cabinet after returning from a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Park will return today from the Middle East nation after attending a ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the installation of a Korean-made nuclear reactor to an under-construction power plant.
In addition, Park has been pressured to carry out a reshuffle to recover people's trust due to the government's failed emergency response to the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won offered his resignation three weeks ago against that backdrop. Park is expected to name a replacement for Chung shortly.
Chung's resignation came on April 27, after he held himself responsible for the government's poor response to the Sewol ferry sinking that left more than 300 passengers dead or missing, and the president accepted it although she did not make it clear when he would leave office.
There are growing calls for Park to come up with a new prime minister to decisively lead the Cabinet because two new agencies that will serve as the control center on disasters and take over some responsibilities from the Ministry of Safety and Public Administration will be established under the Prime Minister's Office.
Since the Park government was launched in February last year, there have been a slew of names mentioned for Cabinet appointments ― but to no avail ― but this time, there are some candidates for the premiership on the radar.
Irrespective of their own opinions, Han Kwang-ok, the head of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, Ahn Dae-hee, former Supreme Court Justice, Lee Jang-moon, former Seoul University President and Kim Sung-ho, former spy agency chief are emerging as front-runners.
Han is believed to represent an image of national unity because he was a former presidential chief of staff under President Kim Dae-jung, while Ahn headed the political reform committee of President Park's election campaign headquarters.
Names from within the political circle include Saenuri Party lawmakers Kim Moo-sung and Choi Kyung-hwan in that the veteran politicians have political abilities and can help communicate well between the government and ruling party.
Regarding changing other Cabinet members, Park is expected to carry out a mid- or large-scale reshuffle.
The heads of the relevant ministries to the ferry tragedy ― the Ministry of Security and Public Administration and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries ― and the education minister, criticized for improper behavior, are regarded as the first to be replaced.
Meanwhile, after the installation ceremony, President Park met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of UAE Armed Forces, to talk about expanding cooperation in fields of energy, construction, medicine and finance and science as well as the nuclear sector.
In addition, the two countries also signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on raising manpower in the nuclear power plant industry.
According to the MOUs, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and KEPCO Plant Service and Engineering will send some 1,500 operational and maintenance support personnel until 2030, while the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) will annually employ 10 engineering students from local universities.
In addition, 30 college interns from each country will be exchanged every year to work for the ENEC and Korea's state-run companies linked to nuclear facility for an eight-week training program.
Park also visited the Korean Army's Akh Unit and encouraged the soldiers. The 150-troop has been stationed there since 201, helping train the Middle East nation's special operations forces and protecting Korean nationals under emergency circumstances.
President Park Geun-hye is now expected to focus mainly on reshuffling her Cabinet which will then be led by a newly-appointed prime minister.
The presidential office spokesman Min Kyung-wook said Monday after the televised address that the president would consider appointing a new prime minister and reorganizing the Cabinet after returning from a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Park will return today from the Middle East nation after attending a ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the installation of a Korean-made nuclear reactor to an under-construction power plant.
In addition, Park has been pressured to carry out a reshuffle to recover people's trust due to the government's failed emergency response to the April 16 sinking of the Sewol ferry. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won offered his resignation three weeks ago against that backdrop. Park is expected to name a replacement for Chung shortly.
Chung's resignation came on April 27, after he held himself responsible for the government's poor response to the Sewol ferry sinking that left more than 300 passengers dead or missing, and the president accepted it although she did not make it clear when he would leave office.
There are growing calls for Park to come up with a new prime minister to decisively lead the Cabinet because two new agencies that will serve as the control center on disasters and take over some responsibilities from the Ministry of Safety and Public Administration will be established under the Prime Minister's Office.
Since the Park government was launched in February last year, there have been a slew of names mentioned for Cabinet appointments ― but to no avail ― but this time, there are some candidates for the premiership on the radar.
Irrespective of their own opinions, Han Kwang-ok, the head of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, Ahn Dae-hee, former Supreme Court Justice, Lee Jang-moon, former Seoul University President and Kim Sung-ho, former spy agency chief are emerging as front-runners.
Han is believed to represent an image of national unity because he was a former presidential chief of staff under President Kim Dae-jung, while Ahn headed the political reform committee of President Park's election campaign headquarters.
Names from within the political circle include Saenuri Party lawmakers Kim Moo-sung and Choi Kyung-hwan in that the veteran politicians have political abilities and can help communicate well between the government and ruling party.
Regarding changing other Cabinet members, Park is expected to carry out a mid- or large-scale reshuffle.
The heads of the relevant ministries to the ferry tragedy ― the Ministry of Security and Public Administration and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries ― and the education minister, criticized for improper behavior, are regarded as the first to be replaced.
Meanwhile, after the installation ceremony, President Park met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of UAE Armed Forces, to talk about expanding cooperation in fields of energy, construction, medicine and finance and science as well as the nuclear sector.
In addition, the two countries also signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on raising manpower in the nuclear power plant industry.
According to the MOUs, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and KEPCO Plant Service and Engineering will send some 1,500 operational and maintenance support personnel until 2030, while the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) will annually employ 10 engineering students from local universities.
In addition, 30 college interns from each country will be exchanged every year to work for the ENEC and Korea's state-run companies linked to nuclear facility for an eight-week training program.
Park also visited the Korean Army's Akh Unit and encouraged the soldiers. The 150-troop has been stationed there since 201, helping train the Middle East nation's special operations forces and protecting Korean nationals under emergency circumstances.
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