The pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP) and the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) have agreed to retain the Ministry of Unification under the incoming Lee Myung-bak administration.

Under the bipartisan agreement, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea will remain independent. The transition team had initially planned to put the commission under the control of the presidential office.

But the two parties have yet to agree on whether to retain the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The team had planned to abolish or curtail the functions of the two ministries but faced a severe backlash.

The Unification Ministry, which has taken on inter-Korean relations for 39 years though its functions and name differed according to administrations, has been at the centre of a political confrontation since Lee was elected president on 19 December 2007.

The next President had planned to close the ministry and four other ministries under his government reorganisation bills submitted to the National Assembly last month.

Ahead of the general elections on April 9, GNP lawmakers are trying not to alienate voters by scrapping the Unification Ministry, observers said.

Lee wanted to merge it with the Foreign Ministry, insisting that the reshuffle would improve the efficiency of the country's North Korea policy.

The United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights Louise Arbour recently urged President-elect Lee to retain the human rights commission as an independent body.

The UNDP and civic groups have also said the commission could be politically influenced if it is put under the control of the presidential office.

Date: 10 February 2008

Source: Korea Times