Upcoming Cabinet Reshuffle Rife With Speculation

According to one insider at Chong Wa Dae, President Kim Dae-jung has been having a hard time choosing his new cabinet. The official added that sincerity and loyaty are the most important factors President Kim is considering right now. "What is being searched for is a person who can prevent partisanship, the spintering of the political powerbase, and aid in putting into effect reform. What is also needed is someone who knows how to deal well with many political situations, including relations with Millennium Democrtic Party (MDP)," said President Kim's chief secretary, Han Kwang-ok, last week.

Another Chong Wa Dae insider, on the basis that his identity would remain anonymous, commented that "we should remember the time when President Roh Tae-woo was reduced to a mere figurehead with no effective control over governmnet. At that time -the end of Roh's term in office, the Chong Wa Dae secretariat and even the cabinet itself were climbing over one another in attempts to win favor with Kim Young-sam, then the next likely candidate to become president."

The official commented that the people put into cabinet would only be those who could adopt the president's own political philosophy as their own, while at the same time keeping to one's own principles and ideas in the process. With society having to suffer through financial crises and medical reform strikes, the official said, the ministers that were in office obviously had no principles or backbone of their own.

And, of course, an ability to do work with the MDP's potential coalition partners, the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) as well as establish good relationships among the MDP brass itself, finished off the official, are important qualities as well.

by Kim Jin-kook