Rival Parties Take Tentative Steps to Revive Their Dialogue

The ruling and opposition camps moved cautiously Friday toward reopening dialogue for the sake of buoying the economy, political observers said.

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party and the opposition Grand National Party are expected to attempt to clear the way for the opening of the National Assembly's extra session scheduled for Thursday, political insiders said.

Opposition Leader Lee Hoi-chang met unofficially with five senior party members at a downtown hotel Friday. The leaders pledged to "cooperate with the ruling party on economic issues," according to one of the senior party members.

The ruling party spokesman, Kim Young-hwan, said that "it is time for us to turn toward resuscitating the economy and public welfare."

The two camps looked poised for an all-out partisan duel before the three-day Lunar New Year holiday. Both camps toned down their battle cries as public sentiment toward them verged on hostility.

They remain divided over the prosecution's investigation of the 119.2 billion won of intelligence agency funds allegedly funneled to the New Korea Party. The New Korea Party is the predecessor of the opposition party.

Prosecutors tentatively wound up the investigation by formally demanding that 94 billion won ($73 million) of spy agency money received by the opposition be returned to government coffers.

The opposition party launched a special committee to fight the prosecution's suit for the return of the money.

The ruling party spokesman, Mr. Kim, said that his camp supports the prosecution's demand.

by Noh Jae-hyun