President Plans Major Staff Overhaul

President Lee Myung-bak is planning a major reshuffle of his top presidential aides within this week, including Chief of Staff Yu Woo-ik.

Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said Wednesday that the president plans to apologize for the political turmoil following his decision in April to resume U.S. beef imports and make an announcement on the lineup of new top aides in a public statement on Thursday.

The spokesman added, “The president will reshuffle his presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae including Chief of Staff Yu Woo-ik. The selections and verifications of candidates are now underway. If things proceed smoothly, we plan to announce the new lineup within the week.”

The reshuffle of the top presidential aides is said to include about seven members out of nine posts such as the chief of staff, seven chief presidential secretaries, and presidential spokesmen.

Meanwhile, the president will undertake a moderate reshuffle of his Cabinet in accordance with the opening and verification process of the 18th National Assembly to prevent a leadership vacuum, the spokesman said. Given this, the Cabinet lineup is expected to take place during the week after next.

According to a key source of Cheong Wa Dae, managing state affairs without major disruptions is the most important task for the Cabinet. Considering this element, the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle is expected not to exceed the scale of the lineup of presidential aides. But at the same time, it will most likely not be confined to a small-scale reshuffle. The source also said that it is still unclear whether Prime Minister Han Seung-soo will be included in the line-up.

In his upcoming public statement, Lee is likely to seek public concessions for the results of the revised U.S. beef negotiations and call on national unity in the face of economic hardship at home and abroad.

swpark@donga.com