Kim shakes up S. Korean cabinet

Kim Dae-jung's popularity has taken a slide since the landmark inter-Korean summit in 2000

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has shaken up his cabinet replacing eight ministers including his key frontline official on relations with North Korea.

Prime Minister Lee Han-dong retained his post but the ministers for unification, justice, education, information and telecommunication, trade, labor, health and welfare, science and technology have all been replaced.

However, Finance and Economy minister Jin Nyum, the country's most senior economic policy maker, held onto his job.

The widely anticipated shake-up followed mounting public anger over a spate of corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials.

President Kim has used cabinet reshuffles on several occasions to defuse tensions and turn around political crises.

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The highest profile switch was dropping Unification Minister Hong Soon-young after just five months in the job.

According to the Associated Press the appointment of Jeong Se-hyun is being seen as a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea which has held back from reopening dialogue with the South following the breakdown of cabinet-level talks in November.

In recent months several reports in official North Korean media indicated that Pyongyang would not resume direct contact with Seoul as long as Hong remained in charge of the Unification Ministry.

As such Hong had been virtually ostracized with North Korean officials labeling him an inflexible hardliner.

The reshuffle was seen as a political necessity for the South Korean president following a spat of high-profile scandals and with key elections coming the near future.

Kim, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his rapprochement policy toward the North, has suffered a popularity slide in recent polls which has been blamed on both the scandals and stalled North-South talks.

Though he has not been accused of any wrongdoing, the South Korean leader apologized publicly this month for the scandals involving government officials and vowed to fight corruption.

Kim's constitutionally mandated single five-year term expires February 2003 and a presidential election is due to be held in December.