Justice, Environment Ministers Replaced


By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter



Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae Environment Minister Lee Jae-yong

President Roh Moo-hyun Tuesday replaced his justice and environment ministers in a minor Cabinet reshuffle, while retaining Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung, presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo said.
Roh appointed Rep. Chun Jung-bae, 51, former floor leader of the ruling Uri Party, as his new justice minister, and former environmental activist Lee Jae-yong, 51, as new environment minister.

The president will invite leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to a luncheon at Chong Wa Dae today to discuss defense issues, including calls for the resignation of his defense minister, Chong Wa Dae officials said.

Earlier in the day, the ruling party advised Roh to dismiss Defense Minister Yoon, holding him morally responsible for a shooting rampage in which eight soldiers were killed at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on June 19.

Oh Young-sik, vice floor leader of the governing party, said in a press briefing, ``We suggest that Roh take `appropriate measures’ with regard to the defense minister.

The presidential spokesman said, ``Roh expressed his willingness to have talks with political leaders for unswerving reform in the field of national defense.’’

Among those present at today’s Chong Wa Dae meeting are National Assembly Speaker Kim Won-ki; Rep. Yoo Jay-kun of the ruling party who chairs the Assembly’s National Defense Committee; Moon Hee-sang, chairman of the ruling party, and leaders of minor opposition parties, according to the officials.

Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP), will not attend the meeting, said Chun Yu-ok, the GNP’s spokeswoman.

Defense Minister Yoon offered to quit a few days after the shooting rampage.

But Roh refused to accept his resignation, saying there is no one else to fulfill the ongoing reform efforts in the military.

On Monday, the GNP submitted a dismissal motion against Yoon to the Assembly and the motion is scheduled to be dealt with in a floor vote tomorrow unless either the GNP or the president backs down.

The Roh administration, which will mark the half-way point in its five-year tenure this summer, has been under pressure by the ruling party for an overhaul of the Cabinet as well as presidential staff since the party’s humiliating defeat in the April 30 by-elections.

But Roh wants a reshuffling of just a couple of Cabinet ministers, virtually brushing off the request of a number of ruling party lawmakers for a large-scale shakeup, according to his aides.

New Justice Minister Chun is a three-term lawmaker noted for his activities as a human rights lawyer.

He was one of the first legislators to openly support Roh ahead of the 2002 presidential election campaign.

Chun resigned as floor leader of the ruling party last January to take responsibility for the party’s failure to pass reform bills, including one to scrap the anti-communist National Security Law.

New Environment Minister Lee worked for a nongovernmental environment organization in the early 1990s after ending his career as a dentist in the 1980s.

Lee was elected head of a ward in Taegu in the local election in 2002.

Outgoing justice minister, Kim Seung-kyu, has been tapped to head the National Intelligence Service (NIS), while departing Environment Minister Kwak Kyul-ho resigned, saying that he had served in the Cabinet post long enough. Kwak has held the post since last February.

An Assembly confirmation hearing on Kim Seung-kyu’s appointment as new NIS chief will be held in early July.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr