S.Korea's troubled president seeks rival as PM
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's unpopular president hasapproached his main rival in his ruling conservative party tobe prime minister to stem anger over policies that havetriggered mass street protests.
The rallies calling for President Lee Myung-bak's ousterafter barely three months in office were sparked by a publicoutcry over a deal to open South Korea's market wider to U.S.beef, and have cast a cloud over his plans for pro-businessreforms.
Lee has unofficially called on Park Geun-hye, his rival forcontrol of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), to behis prime minister, an aide close to Park told Reuters onWednesday.
"There is a chance she could accept if a formal request ismade because the situation is so difficult," said the aide, whoasked not to be named.
Calling for her help now can be seen as a humblingadmission that he needs her strong network of supporters andskill at managing political affairs to fix his government,analysts said.
Lee said at a meeting of small- and medium-sized businessowners: "I am determined to make a fresh start."
Park, a former GNP chair and daughter of an assassinateddictator, is expected to bring a steadying hand to Lee'sgovernment, roundly criticised for bungling the U.S. beefimport deal and being out of touch with public sentiment,analysts said.
Relations between Lee and experienced GNP insider Park havebeen frosty since the two battled it out last year for theparty's presidential nomination.
"The Park Geun-hye card is an essential one to play nowbecause nobody is trying to listen to his voice any more," saidChoi Jin, the chief of the Institute for PresidentialLeadership.
The post of prime minister has mostly been ceremonial, butunder previous president Roh Moo-hyun, the premier became thepoint person for pushing legislation through parliament.
BIGGEST RALLY
In what was described by local media as the biggestdemonstration in the capital in about 20 years, tens ofthousands marched on Tuesday night chanting "Lee Myung-bakOut".
Former construction boss Lee won the December presidentialelection on the strength of his can-do image.
But this has now become his liability. The public sees himas so focused on his own plans he ignores their needs, analystssay.
Political science professor Kang Won-taek said high-speedcommunication in the world's most wired country had allowed theanti-government message to reach wide sections of society.
"Thanks to the Internet, this has become a voluntaryparticipation by the people that just kept evolving," Kangsaid.
The protests started April against a beef deal with theUnited States that was meant to help a separate bilateralfree-trade accord. U.S. lawmakers threatened to block the pactunless South Korea opened up its market to beef imports.
But widespread South Korean concern over mad-cow disease inU.S. beef quickly turned the issue into a lightning rod for abroad range of grievances against Lee's government.
The issue threatens to overshadow a visit in about a monthby U.S. President George W. Bush to Seoul for talks with one ofhis country's major trade and military allies in Asia.
DASHED HOPES
It has been a dizzying reversal of fortune for Lee whosemargin of victory was the biggest since South Korea began openpresidential elections about 20 years ago, but who now has asupport rate of under 20 percent.
Lee, dubbed "the bulldozer" for his hard-charging ways,made what many see now see as over-ambitious pledges of 6percent economic growth this year and of quick and sweepingeconomic fixes.
He has disappointed supporters by failing to deliver onplans such as lowering corporate taxes and reforming thecontribution and payments schemes of public pension funds.
Lee came to office promising to boost the economy but onTuesday warned it faces a crisis due to soaring internationalprices for raw materials. His finance minister said a domesticdemand slump appeared to be deepening because of highinflation.
Lee's cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday to takeresponsibility for the fallout from the beef deal.
Local media speculated that in the next few days Lee wouldditch his farm, health and education ministers, along withseveral aides, and possibly the foreign and finance ministers.
Analysts said Lee still could still recover but he cannotpush through his reform plans that include privatisation ofmajor state-run firms and banks and making the country moreopen to foreign investment unless he wins back public support.
Truckers striking over high fuel prices stopped work invarious parts of the country, dragging down transport in theexport-dependent country. More labour groups might follow,which could slow production for cars and other goods.
(Additional reporting by Park Ju-min, Jon Herskovitz andYoo Choonsik; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by JerryNorton)