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South Korea's Leader Vows to Make New Start
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"The president must realize that this is a very serious situation," said Kim Hyung-suk, 60, owner of an after-school institute. "If he does not listen even now, then the next step is to demand that he steps down."
Soaring oil prices have also soured the public mood, and truckers voted Monday to go on strike for cheaper fuel, even after Lee's government offered a $10.2 billion package of aid that would provide some subsidies for gasoline and diesel fuel.
The offer by his entire cabinet to resign may give Lee an opportunity to appease populist anger, rebuild his government and recast his image.
The 66-year-old former construction company executive has stumbled badly in his first 107 days in office. After winning election last fall by the largest margin in the country's history, his approval ratings have fallen to less than 20 percent.
In April, Lee stunned many South Koreans by lifting a 4 1/2 -year ban on U.S. beef that was put in place after a dairy cow in Washington state was confirmed as the first case of mad cow disease in the United States.
After his poll numbers collapsed and as street demonstrations gathered support, Lee changed course last week and reimposed part of the beef ban. But that has done little to appease protesters.
Their anger has been embraced and magnified by labor groups and by the opposition party that Lee's Grand National Party defeated in last year's presidential election and again in a parliamentary election this spring.
In a statement Tuesday, the United Democratic Party demanded that Lee renegotiate the beef agreement with the United States.
"President Lee Myung-bak's arrogance and self-flattery are reversing the development of democracy in Korea," the party said.
Late Tuesday, about 500 students turned up in front of the ruling party building and threw raw eggs.
In comments posted Wednesday on the Yonhap News Agency Web site, a South Korean trade official said further talks with the United States will "clarify" the existing deal -- including a request by the South Koreans that the United States not sell beef from animals more than 30 months old. But the official said the deal itself was not up for renegotiation.
A presidential spokesman did not say whether Lee would accept the resignations of Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and 15 cabinet ministers. But local media have speculated that this week Lee is likely to jettison his agriculture, health and education ministers, and perhaps his foreign and finance ministers.
Tuesday's demonstrations, which took place in more than 70 cities and towns, came on the 21st anniversary of a pivotal event in South Korea's young history as a democracy. Street protests that began on this day in 1987 pushed the government, then dominated by the military, to accept a shift to a government led by a directly elected president.
In the streets of Seoul on Tuesday, many protesters complained that Lee's top-down style of decision-making reminded them of the bad old days of military rule.
"Koreans no longer will tolerate that," said Hyun Deok-soo, who said he was the chairman of a workers' union.
Harden reported from Tokyo.
