Chun Ousts 10 in South Korea Cabinet
President Chun Doo Hwan today replaced nearly half of the 22-member Cabinet of South Korea, which has been jarred by a series of scandals and opposition protests.
Chun replaced 10 of his 22 ministers after Prime Minister Lho Shin Yong and the other ministers resigned en masse today, giving Chun a free hand to form a new government.
Chun retained Prime Minister Lho and Economic Planning Minister Kim Mahn Je but replaced 10 others, including the foreign minister.
Chun has been under pressure to dismiss Cabinet members allegedly connected with a series of scandals, including a sex-torture case involving a detained dissident and a fire that partially destroyed Independence Hall.
“The Cabinet shake-up is part of President Chun’s effort to maximize national power, support party government coordination and restore public confidence in the government,” the presidential spokesman said.
During the last several months, Korea has been rocked by demonstrations, with the opposition demanding constitutional change to allow presidential elections by popular vote after Chun steps down in February, 1988. The current Constitution calls for election by electoral college.
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