Foreign News Reported Resignation of Minister Lim

The major newspapers of Japan reported yesterday that South Korea faced the serious political upheaval, delivering the news of the resignation of the cabinet and the passage of the motion for dismissal of the unification minister Lim Dong-Won.

``It will be unavoidable that the ruling coalition of the New Millennium Democratic Party (NMDP) and the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) is to be collapsed. Some forecasts that as the NMDP falls to the minor party, the reshuffle of political circles will speed up.`` reported Asahi Shimbun. ``President Kim Dae-Jung for sure hangs on to `the engagement policy`. But if the ULD turns to the opposition party, there will be even harsher backlash against the North Korea policy.``

Yomiuri Shimbun reported that ``President Kim met the greatest crisis since the inauguration of his office in February, 1998. The antagonism between the ruling and opposition parties will be more serious, and the schism between the conservatives and the radicals will also be intensified surrounding the `sunshine policy` .``

Mainichi Shimbun analyzed that ``even though the NMDP-ULD coalition might be maintained, it will certainly be hard for President Kim to show off his leadership, because he failed to watch over his minister who has pursued the government`s core policy.``

And Sankei Shimbun forecasted that ``the North Korea policy of the President Kim`s administration will be caught in a serious trouble. The Korean government may not be able to smoothly pursue the engaging policy, on which it has considered first the North Korea`s position or has shown one-sided mercy.``

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported, `` South Korea plunged into a political crisis this morning after all cabinet members and senior presidential aides resigned in the wake of a National Assembly vote for dismissal of the minister in charge of the government`s `sunshine policy` with North Korea.``

In an article titled `South Korea`s Cabinet Quits, Sending Government Into Chaos`, the New York Times said, `` Lim Dong Won, South Korea`s unification minister, had negotiated the historic inter-Korean summit meeting in Pyongyang last year between South Korea`s president, Kim Dae Jung, and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il. The National Assembly overwhelmingly passed a no confidence motion. In the 148 to 119 vote, supporters of President Kim`s ruling coalition helped to tip the balance.``

Shim Kyu-Sun ksshim@donga.com