hankyoreh

Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chung Woon-chun is likely to be dismissed over the resumption of U.S. beef imports.

In a telephone interview with The Hankyoreh on May 29, a lawmaker who is a close aide to President Lee Myung-bak remarked that Cheong Wa Dae is planning to replace Chung. Cheong Wa Dae is also known as the Blue House.

The presidential office is giving serious consideration to Chung’s dismissal, timing it for shortly after June 3, the 100th day after Lee’s inauguration, according to the lawmaker.

A high-ranking government official said, “As far as I know, the leaders of the (ruling) Grand National Party have expressed the view that a few problematic ministers, including Chung, should resign from their posts,” adding that Chung’s dismissal is connected with the street demonstrations held after the official announcement of beef imports was made and the results of the upcoming June 4 by-election.

Chung, speaking at a National Assembly hearing on the beef issue, remarked that the nation’s beef deal with the United States is not different from U.S. standards for specified risk material. Later, he retracted his remarks, aggravating people’s anxiety about the resumption of beef imports.

A motion submitted by three opposition parties to oust Chung was rejected in a National Assembly vote on May 23.

But Chung is not the only person on the blacklist. Minister of Education, Science and Technology Kim Do-yeon was also called upon to resign. Kim instructed high-ranking education ministry officials to visit their alma maters and their children’s schools to offer them financial assistance, which is widely seen as being akin to bribery, around May 15, Teachers’ Day, causing a controversy.

Cheong Wa Dae is of the opinion that ministers who have caused problems should be replaced in order to ease the public sentiment, which has become increasing negative toward President Lee Myung-bak, according to a GNP official.

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