Following the resignation of his education minister, President Roh Moo-hyun is set to face more political heat over another key cabinet appointment as he attempts to stave off lame-duck status.
Mr Roh has come under fierce criticism for a string of appointments to important government posts whom critics say have been selected more for their ideological sympathies than for their experience and aptitude.
'Roh Moo-hyun has been choosing people in his own image. His nominees share his identity and his philosophy,' Park Ihn-hwi, of Ewha University, said.
The president has been using his powers of patronage to try to shore up his political authority as he battles plummeting approval ratings - now below 30 per cent - and his supporters have shrunk to a hard core of staunch liberals.
'I think he has realised that he has nothing to lose, and that his last primary goal is to protect his legacy [through these appointments]', Professor Park said.
It is not unusual for South Korea's head of state to lose authority towards the end of his presidency. But even by the standards of the country's single-term system, the ebbing away of Mr Roh's authority has come early.
Opponents have also blamed the president's practice of stoking political divisions through his uncompromising and belligerent attitude. This has left Mr Roh with little political support to draw on.
