North-South Stalemate Blasted by Opposition

Opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang on Wednesday gave inter-Korean relations since last year's South-North summit in Pyongyang a big thumbs down.

"Confidence building was what inter-Korean relations was all about in the year since the June 15 summit, and it has failed," Mr. Lee said at the Grand National Party's public hearing at party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

"Work on re-linking the Kyongui railway and reunions of separated families have stopped," Mr. Lee said. "It has become difficult to estimate when Kim Jong-il will visit Seoul.

"He should keep his promise, but it would be meaningless if he only came for economic benefits or strategic purposes," the opposition leader added.

Han Seung-joo, former minister of foreign affairs and now a professor at Korea University, was the keynote speaker at the forum. Former Minister of Unification Song Yong-dae and Kim Young-hie of the JoongAng Ilbo were also panelists.

Mr. Han forecast that the lull in inter-Korean relations will continue for some time.

"We will end up disappointed, and more importantly in danger, if we take an unrealistically optimistic view of inter-Korean relations," Mr. Han said. "We must take a good hard look at the dichotomy that exists between the two nations."

He proposed that Seoul take a pragmatic approach to its relations with Pyongyang and stop "daydreaming of reunification." He suggested pursuing a win-win strategy that aids rapprochement and establishes parameters to prevent the North from taking advantage of the South's good intentions.

Mr. Kim attributed the delay of Kim Jong-il's visit to Seoul to his disappointment at the backlash in the South against the Kim Dae-jung administration's policy toward the North.

by Noh Jai-hyun