Top State, Party Jobs Up for Grabs

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Top State, Party Jobs Up for Grabs

President Kim Dae-jung will carry out a sweeping overhaul of the cabinet, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party and the top presidential aides within this week, following Monday's breakdown in the coalition with the United Liberal Democrats.

Giving Mr. Kim maximum latitude, the entire cabinet agreed at Tuesday's cabinet meeting to tender their resignations. Lee Geun-shik, minister of government administration and home affairs, handed the resignations to the Blue House chief of staff, Han Kwang-ok, on Tuesday. All of the eight Blue House presidential secretaries offered up their resignations as well.

Four Supreme Council members of the Millennium Democratic Party followed in the footsteps of the party's chairman, Kim Joong-kwon, and secretary-general, Park Sang-kyu, to tender their resignations Monday.

Korea is not without leadership, however. Until the resignations are formally accepted, the officials continue to carry out their duties.

With practically every im-portant government and political post now potentially vacant, the president must decide whether to recruit reformist-leaning politicians from his party or technocrats free from political affiliations, a party spokesman, Jeon Yong-hak, said. The president took Tuesday off, canceling all official duties except for a meeting with leaders of the country's seven religious groups.

Millennium Democrats urged the president to seal the party's reform orientation, based on the interests of middle- and lower-income Koreans, as he no longer has to worry about allocating seats to a conservative coalition partner.

But Mr. Kim, now without coalition support and outnumbered by the opposition Grand National Party, may opt to employ technocrats unaffiliated with any political camp.

Political speculation has it that the three major posts, the party chairman, Blue House chief of staff and prime minister, are up for reshuffle.

Unification Minister Lim Dong-won, repudiated by the National As-sembly Monday, resigned Tuesday, but vowed that the "sunshine policy" would continue. Mr. Lim is expected to be appointed presidential envoy on North Korean affairs.

The president is said to be looking forward to retaining Prime Minister Lee Han-dong, with a view to maintaining a link to the United Liberal Democrats. But Mr. Lee has resigned not only as prime minister but from the presidency of the United Liberal Democrats, shocking the party boss Kim Jong-pil.

Chairman Kim Joong-kwon of the ruling party signaled his departure. "I did my best during the past eight months of chairmanship, and I believe I have made achievements," he said.

The United Liberal Democrats issued a statement to "the people," saying, "The breakdown of the coalition lies squarely with the Millennium Democratic Party. Our party will uphold the political identity of the Re-public of Korea on reunification and national security matters."

The Blue House criticized the United Liberal Democrats for "betraying political trust."

Warm exchanges between the United Liberal Democrats and the Grand National Party fueled speculation that the two conservative parties may merge for next year's local and presidential elections.

"Our party in fact is similar to the Grand National Party," Liberal Democrat floor leader Lee One-ku, said. "We will cooperate with the GNP on North Korean and national security issues."



by Kim Jin-kook

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