In wake of cacophany after North’s test, president will rearrange team: sources
President Roh Moo-hyun has reportedly brought attention to policy confusion among the government’s ministries following North Korea’s nuclear test; especially divided, sources say, are the ministries of foreign affairs and national security. Accordingly, the Blue House is considering a reshuffle of the government team in charge of these issues, sources within the presidential office say.
The presidential office had previously not planned any moves until the replacement of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon at the end of this month or the beginning of next month, in preparation for his assuming the role of U.N. secretary-general.
But the situation has changed abruptly, with National Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung and Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok giving their vebal resignations to the president one after the other.
Yoon said on October 24 that the would step down from his position, telling reporters, "I told the president that I would like to take a rest...now that I have completed the [Security Consultative Meeting]. The president just listened." The Security Consultative Meeting is the annual discussion of the state of military affairs on the peninsula between the South Korean and U.S. militaries.
Then, on October 25, Blue House spokesman Yoon Tae-young said that Lee wanted to resign from his post. But the spokesman did not provide any details as to whether Lee’s resignation would have something to do with what President Roh allegedly called "policy confusion" regarding the North Korean nuclear crisis. A key official at the presidential office, who asked not to be named, said that there is likely to be a large-scale replacement of the current foreign affairs and national security team. Following President Roh’s indication that concerned ministries and agencies have caused confusion about North Korea’s recent alleged remark to China that there would be no another nuclear test, the Blue House has realized there are many problems within its ranks, said another key official of the presidential office, who also asked not to be named. The official added that each ministry interprets the nuclear crisis in terms of its own interest, and then announces this interpretation to the media. After a thorough investigation, ministries or agencies considered to have serious problems will be included in the cabinet reshuffle, he said. In connection with the government’s basic policy on sanctioning North Korea after the nuclear test, the Blue House’s office for unification and security policy decided to take necessary and appropriate measures considering the U.N. Security Council’s list of sanctions and the moves of other nations. But each ministry and government agency announced separate and sometimes conflicting information on sanctions to the media. The president’s strong warning following this seeming breakdown in national security policy within the government may have given way to the soon-to-happen cabinet shakeup, the sources say.
