Print

Mail

wiki links

S Korean parliament endorses new PM

South Korea's parliament yesterday endorsed Han Seung-soo as new prime minister, giving President Lee Myung-bak a much-needed boost after a difficult first week in office.

The conservative leader has been struggling to form an administration, with three of his Cabinet nominees quitting this week under pressure from his liberal opponents at parliamentary confirmation hearings.

The parliament approved the appointment 174-94.

The approval came after the largest party in parliament, the liberal United Democratic Party (UDP), softened its objections to Han, a veteran diplomat and economist who is currently the UN special envoy on climate change.

Han, 71, has served as commerce minister, finance minister and foreign minister, as well as ambassador to the US. He was elected president of the UN General Assembly in 2001.

Lee's plans to axe several ministries to streamline the government came under fire from the UDP, as did his Cabinet nominees, who declared average assets of nearly 4 billion won (US$4.2 million) -- about three times more than the incoming Cabinet five years ago.

The UDP is demanding that a fourth minister-designate resign, citing alleged plagiarism, real estate speculation and links with the past military regime.

The party said it would boycott parliamentary hearing for justice minister-designate Kim Sung-yi, asserting that his alleged ethical problems were worse than the three others.

Lee's Grand National Party rejected the demand and accused the rival party of seeking to weaken his government.

Because of the need for a quorum, Lee will have to retain four of former president Roh Moo-hyun's ministers when he holds a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Lee, a former businessman nicknamed "The Bulldozer" for his forcefulness, admitted yesterday that he had been partly to blame.

"The start of my government was not smooth," Lee said at a meeting of presidential secretaries.

"We're responsible to some degree. We failed to take full advantage of the government's personnel information data. The resignations of some minister candidates were inevitable under the current political circumstances."

News reports said Lee and his party had been embarrassed at the adverse public reaction to some nominees.

His choices sparked concern that the new government may focus only on policies for the rich while abandoning the underprivileged, Yonhap news agency said.

Key ministers and many appointees to powerful posts hail from Lee's home region of Gyeongsang, rekindling regional animosities.

The Korea Times said in an editorial that Lee's government has gotten off to "a shaky start" and held him responsible.

"Ministers are required to meet higher moral standards as well as prove their competence to work for the people. In this regard, Lee has failed in his first test," it said.

The largest-circulation Chosun Ilbo daily said in an editorial that the fallout would linger.

"The presidential office cannot simply be content with changing its system of screening candidates. It must take this opportunity to reconsider its standards," it said.
This story has been viewed 723 times.