Opposition Will Wait for Meeting

Opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang said Sunday that he will not hurry into a face-to-face meeting with President Kim Dae-jung, quelling speculation about an early consolidation of the shaky peace wrought by the opposition's unconditional return to the National Assembly floor.

"I have no plans to meet with the president as of now," Mr. Lee said.

"I don't want to send the president off with a political burden when he leaves to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10," he said.

Political pundits said the opposition leader wants to keep the pressure on the ruling party and maintain the public support it gained Friday. Its unconditional return and the promise to approve the 40 trillion won ($35 billion) earmarked for funding economic restructuring won the opposition party both public and political support.

The outstanding issues between the ruling Millennium Democratic Party and the opposition Grand National Party mainly center on the impeachment of the prosecutor general and his deputy and appointment of a special prosecutor to look into illegal loan scandals.

The opposition leader emphasized that with the parliament open, pending economic bills can be handled through the parliamentary process.

"The public funds are taxpayers' money," Mr. Lee said. "To set a deadline for passage of the bill, without giving it a thorough review, would be a great mistake."

The government has decided how it will allocate the first 7 trillion to 10 trillion won allocated for restructuring, a ruling party spokesman said Sunday.

Two trillion won will go to redeem corporate bonds issued by the now-defunct Daewoo Group. Two trillion won will be used to streamline four merchant banking companies, 600 billion won will go to the Korea First Bank and 100 billion won will be used to guarantee deposits in thrift banks.

by Park Sung-hee