South Korea's president apologised on Thursday for a U.S. beef import deal that sparked mass street protests against his new government and will sack close aides to try to halt a dramatic slide in public support.
Lee Myung-bak, who eased to victory in a December election with pledges of pro-business reforms and growth for the world's 13th largest economy but now has an approval rating of less than 20 percent, said he wanted to start a new chapter for his four-month-old government.
Analysts said they expect large parts of Lee's reforms, which include privatizing state firms, tax cuts for companies and mortgage relief for low-income households, to be stalled unless he can win back public support.
A parliament in which Lee's conservative Grand National Party holds the majority has yet to begin sitting because of a boycott by the left-of center opposition angered at the beef deal.
Hundreds of the 13,000 striking South Korean truckers, whose protest has paralyzed ports and cost export firms billions of dollars, reached deals with employers and returned to work on Thursday, easing a little pressure on Lee.
Lee Myung-bak, who eased to victory in a December election with pledges of pro-business reforms and growth for the world's 13th largest economy but now has an approval rating of less than 20 percent, said he wanted to start a new chapter for his four-month-old government.
Analysts said they expect large parts of Lee's reforms, which include privatizing state firms, tax cuts for companies and mortgage relief for low-income households, to be stalled unless he can win back public support.
A parliament in which Lee's conservative Grand National Party holds the majority has yet to begin sitting because of a boycott by the left-of center opposition angered at the beef deal.
Hundreds of the 13,000 striking South Korean truckers, whose protest has paralyzed ports and cost export firms billions of dollars, reached deals with employers and returned to work on Thursday, easing a little pressure on Lee.
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