Welfare minister resigns against President Park`s will

Health and Welfare Minister Chin Young has finally stabbed President Park Geun-hye in the back. One of the closest aides to the president and a powerful minister, Chin offered his resignation Friday, just six months after he took office and five days after speculations of his resignation began spreading.

The welfare minister`s resignation against the president`s will has added to the president`s responsibility for failing to live up to her election promises on increased welfare. With Chin`s resignation, President Park has lost her ultimate political card of dismissing the minister when things get worse.

In an e-mail message sent to reporters, Chin said he would resign to take the "responsibility" as welfare minister. Although he did not specify what the responsibility was for, the message is interpreted as his will to take the responsibility for having failed to keep the president`s election promises on welfare.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won turned down Chin`s resignation, saying that he could not take it "at a time when there are urgent issues to resolve." Senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said that the decision to reject Chin`s resignation was the president`s will. Nevertheless, it seems very unlikely that the welfare minister will return to his position.