South Korean Government Shakeup?

It seems that something is changing in the South Korean Government. Essentially, the entire group of people who had been in charge with relations with North Korea have tendered their resignations. These do not appear to have been accepted yet, but it may indicate a complete change in course for the government is in the works. The changes may be minor according to some experts.

Director of the National Intelligence Service Kim Seung-gyu offered his resignation to Roh on Thursday, presidential spokesman Yoon Tae-young said on Friday.

South Korea's point man on the North, Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, and Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung tendered their resignations earlier in the week.

A shake-up of some kind had been in the offing since Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was selected to become the next U.N. secretary-general. He is expected to leave in mid-November.

But the three resignations this week, if accepted, will result in a near complete overhaul of the team responsible for relations with the North.

Ban was talking to Chinese leaders in Beijing on Friday over how to implement U.N. sanctions imposed after the test and get the North back to talks on ending its nuclear program. China and South Korea are the closest Pyongyang has to friends.

Analysts doubted a reshuffle would mean much more than minor adjustment to the "sunshine" policy Roh inherited from his predecessor Kim Dae-jung, for which Kim won a Nobel Peace Prize.

"There won't be a fundamental change to President Roh's policy of engagement with the North," said political analyst Yu Chang-sun.

"Minister Lee Jong-seok has been the strongest advocate of the policy, so when he leaves there may be a slight change in the temperature. But when you look at the people who will likely replace him, it is difficult to anticipate a significant change.

It is still quite interesting that basically everyone has resigned here. It is also significant that South Korea has announced travel bans for North Korean officials and have implemented currency transfer controls. Frankly, the "Sunshine Policy" has not worked out any better for the South Koreans than did the "Agreed Framework" the US under Clinton implemented.