Opposition Chief Ready to Meet Kim

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, Lee Hoi-chang, the opposition leader, said he is willing to meet with President Kim Dae-jung anytime.

"We need to approach the talks between the president and myself with the realization that we are meeting for the sake of the public, and the talks should rest on sincerity and trust," Mr. Lee, president of the Grand National Party, said. "But if the talks are going to end up disappointing the people we may as well not meet."

The opposition leader's remarks were his first public expression of a willingness to meet with the president since he proposed talks on August 15.

Redirecting his comments toward a boiling controversy, Mr. Lee, a former Supreme Court justice, said the government should mete out stern legal punishment against any South Korean who violated laws during a reunification festival last week in Pyongyang.

"We will not sit on the sidelines if the government fails to punish those responsible and try to blame the problem on an 'ideology war' waged by our party and other conservative elements," he said.

Mr. Lee said the jailing of three media executives was a classic case of the government "muzzling the press."

"The president should do away with aides who organized this attack on the media," he said.

by Lee Sang-il