South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, at an emergency press conference on Saturday morning, persuaded the Cabinet and his senior aides who tendered their resignations to stay.

Citing the political stability reason, Roh Moo-hyun dismissed the resignation of Prime Minister Goh Kun and other cabinet members along with his all 13 senior secretaries.

"The Cabinet should serve the nation better at a time when I ask for the nation's confidence in me," Roh said.

He said he would take measures to stabilize the situation.

He said that the Cabinet and his senior secretaries made the decision to resign for they want to take the responsibility for the current tough situation that led the country's president considering a national vote of confidence.

He said that although he had not yet decided on the specific way of civic vote, under current situation such a vote must be held.

In Friday's announcement, Roh did not elaborate on whether he would call a national referendum or just a vote of confidence in his ability to manage the state affairs.

He told reporters that he is willing to listen opinions in the vote. "I will not only adhere to my personal view," he said.

Roh made the appeal for the nation's confidence in his administration on Friday after one of his close aides was found to have involved in a funding scandal linked to the SK Group late last year.

At the press conference, the president also dismissed the criticism alleging his announcement on seeking the nation's confidence in him would just create a power vacuum and destabilize the nation.

"I will not tolerate any attempt by political circles to debase my determination to seek confidence," Roh said. "We will just take time to discuss in a calm manner the procedures for seeking national confidence."

S.Korean cabinet decides to resign

South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun and all Cabinet members along with senior presidential secretaries decided to resign early Saturday in the wake of President Roh Moo-hyun announced a plan to seek a vote of confidence in his administration.

At a Cabinet meeting held early Saturday, Goh Kun said, "We assume deep responsibility for the fact that we've come to such a situation."

The 13 Blue House senior secretaries also decided to follow suit, according to Lee Byung-wan, senior presidential secretary for public information.

"We've decided to submit resignations because we feel terribly sorry for the situation in which President Roh announced yesterday he will ask for the nation's confidence in him," Lee said, noting that the decision was made during a meeting of senior presidential secretaries and advisers held early in the morning.

The Cabinet and the secretaries submitted their resignations to Roh Moo-hyun before an emergency press conference on Saturday morning, during which Roh turned down the resignations.

On Friday, Roh Moo-hyun announced he planned to ask for the nation's confidence in his administration and himself by some kind of vote.

His remarks came after one of his close aids was found to have involved in a funding scandal linked to the SK Group conglomerate.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2003)