Evening Dinner with Former Presidents

On March 13 President Kim Dae-jung invited former presidents Choi Kyu-ha, Chun Doo-hwan, and Roh Tae-woo, along their wives, to a two-hour dinner in Chung Wa Dae. President Kim talked about the 'Berlin Declaration,' and explained some of the other results of his official visit to Europe. Ex-president Kim Young-sam did not attend the dinner for personal reasons.
In the waiting room before dinner ex-president Roh asked President Kim if he could swim. When President Kim replied that he could in fact swim, Mr. Roh pointed out that swimming is very good for the health.
Guiding the ex-presidents and their wives to the dining room, President Kim arranged for a separate table to be set up for the wives. President Kim explained that he was doing this for the women's sake, because they do not usually talk much when seated with men.
As expected, there was some discussion about the upcoming National Assembly Election. President Kim expressed his concern that regionalism is preventing Korea from becoming competitive on a global scale.

by Kim Jin-kook