Transport Chief Fired For Air-Safety Failure

President Kim Dae-jung fired Construction and Transportation Minister Oh Jang-seop Wednesday, holding him responsible for the downgrading of Korea's aviation-safety rating by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Kim Yong-chae, 69, president of the Korea Land Corp., was ap-pointed to replace Mr. Oh.

"The new minister has extensive experience in state affairs and in politics," said the presidential spokesman, Park Joon-young. "He is an expert on construction affairs, having served on the National Assembly's Construction and Transportation Committee."

Perhaps an even more important qualification, the new minister is also a key figure in the United Liberal Democrat Party and a close aide of the party's honorary president Kim Jong-pil. Maintaining the coalition balance between the United Liberal Democrats and the senior partner Millennium Democrats was re-ported to be a sticking point in the jockeying that surrounded Mr. Oh's ouster.

Informed sources said that Mr. Kim notified Mr. Oh of the government's desire to sack him after a meeting Monday with the Blue House chief of staff. Mr. Oh reportedly volunteered to hand in his resignation, and it was accepted.

The opposition Grand National Party criticized the new appointment, saying that the government's political calculations had produced another "incompetent" cabinet minister.

"Firing Minister Oh was the right thing to do, but to replace him with a person ill-equipped to deal with the mountain of tasks facing the ministry is an insult to the public. Why not reshuffle Unification Minister Lim Dong-won?" Chang Kwang-keun, the opposition's vice spokesman said.

"We hope the new minister, with his extensive experience, will do his best to attend to the ministry," said Jeon Yong-hak, the ruling party's spokesman.

Han Kwang-ok, the Blue House chief of staff, did not rule out a further shakeup of government posts.

"The president may well carry it out at due time in due scope," Mr. Han said.

Speculated to be up for new faces is the economic team led by Deputy Prime Minister Jin Nyum.

by Kim Jin-kook