Top aides fired as South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s popularity plunges
- Moon’s chief of staff announced his own dismissal to reporters outside the Blue House
- People are unhappy over the country’s sluggish growth, unemployment crisis, and slow-moving promises of social reforms
South Korean President Moon Jae-in sacked his chief of staff and two other senior aides on Tuesday in a major reshuffle seen as an attempt to shore up faltering support.
Moon swept to power in May 2017 after his predecessor Park Geun-hye was ousted over a sprawling corruption scandal, and enjoyed soaring poll ratings last year as tensions between North and South Korea eased.
But his numbers have plunged in recent weeks, falling below 50 per cent for the first time amid growing discontent over slow growth and unemployment, and disappointment over promised social reforms that critics say have not materialised.
Chief of staff Im Jong-seok announced his own dismissal to reporters at the presidential Blue House and replacement by Noh Young-min, the South’s ambassador to China and a former three-term lawmaker.
