ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Korean firms investment in China reaches highest in 8 years, ARIRANG NEWS 16:00
Hello and welcome to Arirang News.
It′s Monday here in Seoul and I′m Lee Ji-yoon.
Title: President Park expected to reshuffle Cabinet this week
With this year′s policy goals set,… President Park Geun-hye is speeding up her office shake-up.
She′s expected to announce a partial reshuffle of her Cabinet as early as today.
Our presidential office correspondent Choi You-sun reports.
By carrying out a Cabinet reshuffle since nominating a new prime minister last Friday, President Park Geun-hye likely hopes to regain public support for her economic policies as she enters her third year in office.
The president′s approval ratings dropped to an all-time low of 30 percent, following allegations of her aides abusing their power and disorder surrounding a document leak from the presidential office.
The pending reshuffle, expected to come early this week, will most definitely include a new oceans minister.
A ruling party lawmaker close to the president, Yoo Ki-june, who once practiced maritime law, is a widely talked-about candidate, as is current Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo.
The shake-up could also include the unification and transport ministers, both of whom entered the Cabinet after President Park′s inauguration.
The president has repeatedly spoken about improving inter-Korean ties this year, the 70th anniversary of the division of the two Koreas, and looks set to add momentum to her unification preparation drive.
The transport minister could be dismissed, after the government was criticized for its investigation into the recent “nut-rage” incident on a Korean Air flight.
But the Cabinet′s economic team, led by Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, will likely stay put to enforce the president′s economic revitalization plan and public pension and labor reforms.
As for the presidential chief of staff, Kim Ki-chun, some speculate he could resign sooner than later, as both the Cabinet and presidential office shake-ups are expected to be completed by next month.
Choi You-sun, Arirang News.
Title: President Park highlights policy coordination among staff
During a meeting with her newly-appointed secretaries and special advisers,… President Park said, she wants to break down barriers and increase communication within the presidential office.
Referring to public anger over the government′s revised tax policy,… the president said all the secretaries should analyze policies and make clear of the presidential office′s objectives to the public.
She then urged her staff to ensure the revised policy doesn′t cause the public any more grief than necessary.
The president also said she would share the policies that she and her secretaries discuss with the public.
Title: N. Korea warns of ′severe consequences′ if Seoul continues to challenge Pyongyang
Are chances fading for inter-Korean talks?
With about a month since South Korea made its proposal for inter-Korean talks,… North Korea is warning the South to STOP cha,