South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has appointed a new minister to head the Department of Agriculture, after suffering a massive backlash against the Government's policy of allowing US beef back into the market.
The move to replace three ministers comes a month after the entire cabinet offered to resign because of the national frenzy over the beef agreement signed in April with the United States.
President Myung-bak says making these replacements is a chance to start fresh while maintaining continuity by keeping other cabinet officials.
The agriculture and welfare ministers were replaced over the beef deal, while the education minister was replaced over alleged financial wrongdoing at the ministry.
Street rallies and protests of the government's deal to lift the ban of imports of US beef forced Seoul to add an amendment to the beef deal that limits imports of US beef to that coming from cattle 30 months of age or less.
The widespread public perception in Korea is that US beef is high risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Prior to the import ban imposed when a case of BSE was found in the US in 2003, South Korea was the third-largest importer of US beef.
The new cabinet members must be confirmed by the South Korean Parliament but it remains unclear when hearing will be held because the main opposition party is boycotting the legislature over the beef deal.
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