World Notes SOUTH KOREA

A Seoul National University student, Park Chong Chul, 21, suffocated in January while police were dunking his head in a bathtub during interrogation. Last week that death, and the cover-up scandal that followed it, forced President Chun Doo Hwan to shake up his Cabinet. He dumped Prime Minister Lho Shin Yong, the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs and Chang Se Dong, head of the state security agency.

The firings came after the wife of one of two officers arrested in the case revealed that police officials had paid hush money to her family. But the shuffle has implications beyond the cover-up. The President's Democratic Justice Party meets next week to pick a candidate to succeed him when he steps down in February. D.J.P. Chairman Roh Tae Woo appears to have Chun's blessing. Insiders say the sacking of Chang and Lho should strengthen Roh's position.