Education Minister Song Ja's Resignation Accepted

On August 30, President Kim Dae-jung accepted the resignation of Education Minister Song Ja, whose dual nationality, profiteering on a Samsung Electonics stock grab as an outside director, and alleged plagiarism of an economics text book sparked a scandal. President Kim plans to appoint a new minister of Education on August 31.

Song, appointed as the Minister of Education in the Cabinet reshuffle of August 7, resigned in dishonor after a 23-day term in office. After presenting his resignation to President Kim through Chief Presidential Secretary Han Kwang-ok, Song called a press conference and announced his resignation.

Chong Wa Dae spokesman Park Joon-young said, "Because an education minister should be a paragon of students, the morals of the minister are required by the public to be higher than that of other ministers. Minister Song fell short of the expected virtues."

Park added, "His resignation is regretable, when we are reminded that he led university reforms when he was serving as a university president." Park added, "Resignation was Song's decision."

by Kim Jin-kook