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Korea Tourism Organization CEO Oh Jee-chul, Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation chief Jung Soon-kyun, and Seoul Arts Center head Shin Hyun-taek tendered their resignation, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Monday. While citing ¡°personal reasons,¡± they are widely assumed to be caving in to pressure after Culture Minister Yu In-chon last Wednesday said it was ¡°natural" for the heads of arts and cultural organizations appointed during the Roh Moo-hyun administration to retire now a new government is in power.
The three are among 34 heads of public agencies under the Culture Ministry's supervision, with seven of the posts remaining vacant. Oh Jee-chul, a vice culture minister in the Roh administration, was appointed to the latest three-year-term post in November last year. The KTO chief is subject to presidential appointment. Upon tendering his resignation, Oh reportedly said, "Now a new government is in power, I think I must seek a vote of confidence."
Jung Soon-kyun served as the spokesman for the presidential Transition Committee for Roh and the government information agency minister. Shin Hyun-taek is a former vice minister of gender equality and family. Jung's and Shin's posts are subject to appointment by the culture minister.
However, Arts Council Korea Chairman Kim Jung-heun and National Museum of Contemporary Art Director Kim Yoon-soo, the two men singled out by the culture minister as typifying Roh-era appointments, said Monday they had no intention to resign.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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