President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to dismiss Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo on Saturday came out of the blue. Political analysts say such abrupt decisions are rare, if not unprecedented. When a key decision such as the dismissal of a trade minister is made, there are usually a series of preceding events that lead political observers to conclude that the minister’s days in government are numbered. This time, however, there were no such signals. Another factor has left observers wondering about the dismissal: No one, except for a few people in the presidential office, seems to know exactly why Yeo was fired. Those who appear to know the reason have remained silent. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a government official said Yeo’s dismissal had nothing to do with trade negotiations with the U.S. The official made the remark as rumors about the firing of the trade minister continue to circulate. As president, Lee has the right to dismiss his ministers. But when he does so, he should tell the public why such a decision was necessary. Letting people guess or speculate about what Lee had