Promising Reforms, Kim Returns Home

"I will see through party and administrative reforms as I have promised you, the people," President Kim Dae-jung pledged Thursday in his return-home message.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner spoke at the Seoul Airport in Sungnam, Kyonggi Province, after a seven-day trip to Scandinavia to receive his honor and hold talks.

The president said that he is well aware that economic concerns are at the core of public discontent.

"I will complete the ongoing reforms as soon as I can to give a solid foundation to the national economy," he said.

Mr. Kim foreshadowed party and administrative reform before embarking on the trip. Central factors pushing reform are the downturned Korean economy and a sense of unrest, which many economists have warned might trigger a new round of financial crisis.

An array of political rumors has been circulating, but the prevalent scenario is the reshuffling of key positions in the ruling Millennium Democratic Party by this year's end, followed by a change in major administrative posts by February.

Key leaders involved in the rumors are Suh Young-hoon, chairman of the ruling party; Prime Minister Lee Han-dong; Lim Dong-won, chief of the National Intelligence Service, and Han Kwang-ok, the presidential chief of staff.

A ruling party insider predicted Thursday that Mr. Suh and members of the "Tonggyo-dong" faction currently in the party's core positions will be replaced.

"The time of the party reshuffle is likely to be when the extra session of the National Assembly, now open, passes the government budget for fiscal 2001," said the ruling party official, who requested anonymity.

He forecast a target date of Dec. 23 for the changes.

The official added that the prime minister and the intelligence agency chief are likely to be retained, the former because of the ruling party's need to strengthen its coalition with the United Liberal Democrats and the latter to ensure continuity in policy toward North Korea.

by Kim Jin-kook