Lee to replace prime minister, 3 to 4 ministers

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with additional remarks, information)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak will replace Prime Minister
Han Seung-soo next week as part of a minor Cabinet reshuffle that could also
affect three to four of his ministers, a ranking official at the presidential
office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.
"The reshuffle could take place as early as early next week," the official said,
adding the exact scope of the reshuffle has yet to be decided.
President Lee is also expected to replace a number of his senior secretaries, the
official said, asking not to be identified.
The reshuffle, if implemented, will come weeks after the president was put under
pressure to revamp his Cabinet and secretariat amid tough economic conditions and
weak public support for his government.
Political observers have forecast that the president could be forced to make a
major reshuffle, affecting as many as seven or eight of his ministers, to renew
the atmosphere of his administration. He was also expected to appoint lawmakers
of the ruling Grand National Party to Cabinet posts.
However, the president has said he will not make a Cabinet reshuffle as an exit
from political difficulties.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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