Deputy Prime Minister for Education Lee Ki-Jun

In a reshuffle of six government ministries based on the recommendation of Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, President Roh Mo-hyun on January 4 named former Seoul National University President Lee Ki-jun (67) as deputy prime minister and minister of Education and Human Resources.

President Roh appointed Oh Young-kyo (57), president of KOTRA, as Government Administration and Home Affairs minister, Rep. Park Hong-soo (50) of the ruling Uri Party as Agriculture minister, and Jang Ha-jin (54), former head of Korean Women’s Development Agency, as the new minister for Gender Equality.

Former acting Busan mayor Oh Geo-don (57) was tapped as Maritime Affairs and Fisheries minister, and Kim Sun-wook (53, female), a law professor at Ewha Womans University, as Government Legislation minister (minister-level).

With this reshuffle, all Cabinet ministers have been replaced at least once after President Roh’s inauguration, except for Information and Communication Minister Chin Dae-je.

President Roh said in a Cabinet meeting on January 4 at Cheong Wa Dae that he decided to replace Government Administration and Home Affairs, Gender Equality, and Government Legislation ministers because they had served for two years, which was long enough to be in office. He added that ministers might lose passion or sometimes fall into mannerisms after two years of service.

Regarding the replacement of the Education minister, the president said that the Ministry of Education and Human Resources is under criticism from the public and that he had to placate the public by replacing him. The remark clearly represents that the replacement was because of the cheating scandal during last year`s national college entrance exam.

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com