PBA DHAKA : South Korean President Moon Jae-in sacked
his chief of staff and two other senior aides Tuesday in a major reshuffle
seen as seeking to shore up his falling support.
Moon swept the presidential election in May 2017 after his predecessor Park
Geun-hye was ousted over a sprawling corruption scandal, and enjoyed soaring
poll ratings last year as tensions between North and South Korea eased.
But his numbers have plunged in recent weeks, falling below 50 percent for
the first time amid growing discontent over slow growth and unemployment, and
disappointment over promised social reforms that critics say have not
materialised.
Chief of staff Im Jong-seok announced his own dismissal to reporters at the
presidential Blue House and replacement by Noh Young-min, the South’s
ambassador to China and a former three-term lawmaker.
Noh, 62, was a pro-democracy activist through the 1970s and 80s before
entering politics in 2000 and eventually joining Moon’s left-leaning
Democratic Party.
Moon also replaced his senior political affairs secretary and senior press
secretary in the biggest reshuffle at the Blue House since he took office in
May 2017.
Moon has promised reforms of the powerful, family-controlled business
groups that were embroiled in the Park scandal and to tackle widespread
corruption.
But critics accuse him of being fixated on trying to build a political
legacy by improving ties with the North while overlooking much-needed social
reforms at home, and his flagship economic policy of “income-led growth” is
accused of hurting those it is intended to help by raising employment costs.
Moon’s ratings hit a low of 47 percent in December, according to the Seoul
polling agency Realmeter.
The number inched up to 48.2 percent last week but remains far below the
high 70s recorded in May after his first inter-Korean summit.
PBA/zizi
