Partial Cabinet Reshuffle Expected

President Roh Moo-hyun is expected to appoint new cabinet members on April 19, which will affect four ministries, including the ministry of maritime affairs and fisheries, ministry of culture and tourism, and the ministry of Government Legislation.

Cheong Wa Dae officials said on April 18 that they will announce a new cabinet as scheduled after having a personnel affairs meeting tomorrow.

The minister of Culture and Tourism is likely to be replaced by one of two candidates: Hwang Ji-woo, a famous poet and president of the Korean national university of arts, and Kim Jong-min, president of the Korea national tourism organization and former vice minister of Culture and Sports. Also, Kang Moo-hyun, former vice minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, and Kim Young-nam, president of the Korea District Heating Corporation, are leading candidates for the position of minister of maritime affairs and fisheries.

While Nam Ki-myung, deputy general manager is expected to be promoted to the post of minister of Government Legislation, Park Sang-cheol, president of the Graduate School for Politics at Kyunghee University, has also been mentioned as a candidate. Moreover, Kim Jung-bok, deputy general manager of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and Yeo Ik-gu, former auditor of the Korea South-East Power Co., are candidates for the post of minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Meanwhile, several people have been mentioned as candidates for the post of vice minister of Planning and Budget (MOPB), including Ban Jang-sik, director of fiscal operations of MOPB, Lee Chang-ho, director of fiscal strategies of MOPB, and Kim Dae-ki, presidential secretary for the economy.

Mentioned candidates for the post of second vice minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs are Lee Seung-woo, former vice governor for administrative affairs of North Jeolla Province, and Han Beom-deok, former vice governor for administrative affairs of North Chungcheong Province.

Vice ministers of Government Legislation and Patriots and Veterans Affairs will be picked from within those ministries.

jyw11@donga.com