South Korean President names youngest prime minister in 40 years
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak has named the country's youngest prime minister for almost 40 years in a cabinet reshuffle that saw seven other ministers replaced.
In an apparent vote of confidence in his government's handling of the torpedoing of a South Korean warship in March, which Seoul blames on North Korea, the defence, foreign and unification ministers retained their portfolios.
Mr Lee, 68, whose political momentum was recently revitalised when his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) won a surprising victory in parliamentary by-elections, named a 47-year-old former governor of a rural province, Kim Tae-ho, as prime minister.
The reshuffle aims to strengthen the government's "moderate pragmatism-oriented policy", said presidential spokesman Hong Sang-Pyo.
Hong said Kim, former governor of South Gyeongsang province in the southeast, was expected to play a key role in improving communications with the younger generation.
Lee's conservative ruling Grand National Party suffered a major defeat in June local elections, although it bounced back by unexpectedly winning five of eight parliamentary by-elections on July 28.
Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan resigned late last month following the government's failure to win parliamentary approval for a key development project.
Mr Lee announced a partial trade cut-off and other reprisals against the North after international investigators concluded that a North Korean submarine had torpedoed a South Korean warship near the disputed Yellow Sea border in March.
The North vehemently denies carrying out the attack, which killed 46 sailors. It has threatened possible retaliation for an ongoing major South Korean anti-submarine exercise.
The prime minister-designate must be approved by parliament, where Mr Lee's party has an overwhelming majority. Other ministers are subject to confirmation hearings but legislators cannot block their appointment.
"Today's young Koreans in their twenties and thirties are in deep despair ... but I want to show them Korea is a land of opportunity," prime minister-designate Mr Kim told a press conference, in an apparent reference to high youth unemployment.
"Having been born the son of a poor cattle farmer and later becoming the youngest county chief and the governor, I want to give them hope, that they can make it if they have courage and work hard."
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| 南韓總統李明博8日提名47歲的前慶尚南道知事（省長）金台鎬為新總理。 （法新社） |
由於南北韓情勢仍正因「天安艦」沉艦案而高度緊張，李明博保留現任外交、國防和統一部長不變。
總理提名人金台鎬（Kim Tae-Ho）出身養牛農家，年輕且外型出眾是他最大的政治本錢。南韓總理職位傳統上是聽命於總統的行政首長，並無太大實權，但金台鎬如果上任後表現傑 出，有可能在2012年成為執政黨總統候選人。南韓總統不得連任，68歲的李明博5年任期後在2013年交棒。
其他新任命的部長包括：教育科學技術部長官李周浩、文化體育觀光部長官申載旻、農林水產部長官劉正福、知識經濟部長官李載勳、保健福祉部長官陳壽姬、雇用勞動部長官朴宰完以及特任長官李在五。
青瓦台發言人特別強調此次任命案的年輕取向，表示金台鎬未來在改善與年輕世代的溝通上，將扮演關鍵角色。新內閣16位部長平均年齡58.1歲，比李明博的前兩個內閣更年輕。
總統府發言人李東官表示，為回應人民需要，未來40多歲和50出頭將優先獲得提拔，李明博指派53歲的任太熙出任總統府秘書長，不再任用政治耆老，是另一例。62歲前總理鄭雲燦上月因未能推動國會通過世宗市科技教育城發展計畫，引咎辭職。
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