S. Korea President Fires 20, Fails to Quiet Critics

SEOUL — President Roh Tae Woo fired 20 government ministers today, but the South Korean opposition said he had still failed to make the promised break with the team that served his strongman predecessor, Chun Doo Hwan.

Prime Minister Lee Hyun Jae and all but three of his Cabinet members--including all the top economic planners--were axed in a bid by Roh to show his nine-month-old government was not just a continuation of Chun’s rule.

“President Roh’s aim was to put the mind of the public at rest following the anxiety created by problems of the past era,” a presidential spokesman said.

Roh named as new prime minister Kang Young Hoon, 66, a retired general who served as ambassador first to Britain and then to the Vatican. The appointment is subject to approval by the National Assembly, where the government party is a minority. One opposition party said it would vote against approval, but others were more cautious.

Economic Imbalances

Cho Soon, 60, a professor at Seoul National University, was named deputy prime minister and will be in charge of economic planning. Cho, an outspoken critic of the policies of all-out economic expansion pursued by successive governments since the 1960s, lost no time in telling reporters he would give top priority to redressing economic imbalances.

Commentators said, however, that although they expect some shifts of emphasis in economic policy, they do not anticipate serious change at a time when South Korean growth is roaring ahead and exports are setting records.

In addition to Premier Lee and Deputy Prime Minister Rha Woong Bae, the shake-up removed Finance Minister Sakong Il, Trade Minister Ahn Byong Hwa, Foreign Minister Choi Kwang Soo and Defense Minister Oh Ja Bok.

Opposition spokesmen said Roh, charged by a few commentators with political weakness and indecision, has still failed to tackle the burdensome Chun legacy.

Among appointments to which the opposition objected was Lee Han Dong (home affairs), who served first as secretary-general of the ruling party and then as majority floor leader during Chun’s 1980-88 rule.

After a firestorm of public protest, Chun, who led the country from 1980 until he stepped down in February, was forced last month to accept responsibility for power abuses during his rule and go into internal exile. Roh, a former army colleague of Chun, has undertaken to persuade the vengeful opposition to grant Chun immunity from prosecution, but so far he has failed.