Lee to conduct minor Cabinet reshuffle Wednesday

SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak will conduct a minor Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday that may affect five ministries, including one in charge of North Korean affairs, presidential officials said Tuesday.

The planned reshuffle is seen as Lee's latest attempt to revitalize his conservative ruling Grand National Party ahead of next year's parliamentary and presidential elections.

Presidential and ruling party officials have said that Lee will replace the Cabinet ministers concurrently holding parliamentary seats ahead of the parliament's new session.

Subject to the upcoming reshuffle are Special Affairs Minister Lee Jae-oh, Health Minister Chin Soo-hee and Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug.

Aside from those three Lee is also likely to consider replacing Unification Minister Hyun In-taek and Gender Equality and Family Minister Paik Hee-young, a presidential official said.

"We expect this reshuffle would also affect the ministers of unification and women's affairs," the official said, requesting to remain unnamed.

Lee may announce the new culture minister one or two days after nominating four other ministers since he is still undecided over whom to choose for that post, the official said.

Former Ambassador to China Yu Woo-ik, who had also served as chief of staff to Lee, is considered the favorite to succeed Hyun if Lee decides to replace him.