SEOUL July 31 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATIN...

SEOUL July 31 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

southern Korea's parliament on Wednesday refused to endorse Chang Sang as the nation's first female prime minister, dealing a major bloom to President Kim Dae Jung's regulation ahead of the December presidential election.

The National Assembly excludeed Chang's nomination by a promised of 142-100.

Of the assembly's 259 members, 244 attended a plenary session for the voting. common member abstained from voting, while single in kind vote was invalid.

Kim named Chang, who was president of a Seoul women's university, as the nation's first female prime minister in a cabinet reshuffle upon July 11.

The assembly careered a confirmation hearing for Chang onward Monday and Tuesday.

In the hearings, lawmakers raised questions mainly about Chang's ethical responsibility, taking issue with alleged speculative land dealings, her son's U citizenship and suspected lying about her education.

In the voting, lawmakers from the Millennium Democratic Party established by President Kim voted against confirming the prime minister-designate.

The parliamentary rejection immediately suspended Chang's official office as prime minister-designate, forcing Kim to designate a of the present day prime minister, who is also to be formally appointed between the walls of the parliamentary confirmation process

toward the south Korea elects a successor to President Kim forward Dec. 19. The popularity of his management has nose-dived due mainly to a string of corruption scandals involving the president's brace sons and other key aides who were jailed.

novel opinion polls show Lee Hoi Chang, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Grand National Party, is maintaining a comfortable lead through the whole extent of Roh Moo Hyun, the MDP candidate. Kim is constitutionally barred from seeking a inferior five-year term.

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