SEOUL - South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak will replace three ministers later Monday in the wake of mass protests against US beef imports which have shaken his government, a report said.

Lee will replace the agriculture, welfare and education ministers, a top presidential aide was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying, but would retain Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo and Finance Minister Kang Man-Soo.

The presidential Blue House said it could not confirm the report. Lee's entire cabinet and top aides offered their resignations last month to take responsibility for the furore.

The president, who took office on February 25, replaced almost all his top aides last month.

The aide told Yonhap the partial cabinet reshuffle would be announced at a press briefing Monday afternoon.

The government's decision in April to resume US beef imports sparked weeks of mass street protests over the supposed dangers of mad cow disease.

Seoul went back to Washington to secure extra health safeguards before officially resuming the imports on June 26.

Some 50,000 people by police estimates gathered Saturday in Seoul to demand the scrapping of the imports and Lee's resignation. -AFP/vm