President Receives Stinging Criticism from Catholic Priests

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President Receives Stinging Criticism from Catholic Priests

President Kim Dae-jung was sharply criticized by a visiting delegation of Roman Catholic priests belonging to the Catholic Commitee for Justice over the slow pace of human rights reforms during his administration. The unusual exchange took place at a dinner, hosted by President Kim, at Chong Wa Dae on the evening of August 10.

According to Chong Wa Dae Spokesman Park Joon-young, the 22 priests invited to Chong Wa Dae, including Kim Seung-hoon and Ham Se-woong, grilled the president over a variety of topics. Park quoted the priests as saying that, "The president should take more interest in the alienated sectors of society," and "the slow pace of reforms has disappointed us."

The priests proposed that the president revise the Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), do away with the National Security Law, cancel the President Park Chung-hee Memorial project, root out corruption, abolish the death penalty, and support religious exchanges between South and North Korea. The dinner continued for two and a half hours; one hour longer than originally scheduled.

President Kim Dae-jung commented that, "The recommendations are the most candid and sincere I have ever received at Chong Wa Dae. I regard them as good advice."

President Kim said, "The principle of reforms for the far future of Korea is unchangeable. However, reforms are being carried out slowly, because the ruling party does not have a majority in the National Assembly and it takes some time to obtain the Korean people's agreement on the reforms."

by Kim Jin-kook

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