ROK defense minister nominee steps down

In a fresh blow to the new president of the Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye, her nominee for defense minister, stepped down on Friday at a time of elevated military tensions with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim Byung-kwan, a retired four-star general, has withdrawn his name for the post amid opposition objections to his failure to disclose activities as a lobbyist for a defense contractor.

More recently, allegations surfaced regarding hidden stock assets in a natural gas company in Myanmar.

"As of now, I am resigning as defense minister nominee, for the smooth management of state affairs," Kim said in a statement.

"I hope the present security crisis will be successfully overcome and our national defense becomes stronger," Kim said.

Military tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest level since 2010, with the DPRK angered by UN sanctions imposed after its nuclear test last month.

Park, 61, accepted Kim's decision and asked the incumbent defense minister, Kim Kwan-jin, to extend his term, citing public anxiety over Pyongyang.

Park's spokeswoman, Kim Haeng, told a news conference: "She made the decision so that we can focus on stabilizing a crisis situation and easing public anxiety."

But the resignation is another blow to Park, who was sworn in as the country's first woman president on Feb 25.

She has since struggled to fill key cabinet posts, partly due to parliamentary deadlock over her proposals for a government reorganization, which was finally approved on Friday.

Park's nominee to take charge of a new and much-hyped science and technology "super ministry" withdrew earlier this month out of frustration with the delays.

And on Thursday, a deputy justice minister resigned amid media reports, which he strongly denied, of his alleged involvement in a scandal involving sex parties hosted by a construction contractor.

Moon Hee-sang, acting head of the main opposition Democratic United Party, said Park's cabinet woes were the "anticipated result" of her autocratic style of personnel management and her refusal to take advice on nominees.

Political analyst Yu Chang-seon said Park displayed a style of decision-making where she can't seem to change her mind once she's reached a decision.

"The impact on her ability to govern has been growing considerably with the problems with appointments basically overwhelming everything," Yu said.

Park is the daughter of assassinated leader Park Chung-hee, who took power in a military coup in 1961 and ruled the country until 1979.

She is believed to have relied heavily on her former parliamentary aides in selecting cabinet appointees. Parliament is empowered to scrutinize prospective appointments, but cannot veto anyone but the prime minister.

AFP-Reuters

(China Daily 03/23/2013 page7)