Ruling Party Boycotts; Panel Acts on Minister

Unification Minister Lim Dong-won was asked to appear before a National Assembly committee Monday, but the hearing never took place, thwarted by Mr. Lim's tardiness. Adding to the day's confusion was the absence of all panel members from the ruling Millennium Democratic Party.

If none of the ruling coalition lawmakers had shown up for the hearing before the Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee (Kim Chong-hoh, acting president of the United Liberal Democrats, was the only member of a ruling coalition party to appear) the Grand National Party had planned to issue a declaration pressing for Mr. Lim's resignation. But when Mr. Kim appeared the GNP lawmakers quickly had Kwon Hyun-chul, party spokesman, fill in for Representative Kim Deog-ryong, who is travelling abroad. That gave them the 12 votes needed to pass a resolution to officially call Mr. Lim.

Mr. Kim explained that the ruling party had not asked him to abstain from participating in the committee hearing or to oppose the resolution.

Meanwhile, at the Blue House, President Kim Dae-jung held a dinner party for lawmakers of the ruling coalition, which also includes the People's Democratic Party, and asked for their cooperation in opposing Mr. Lim's dismissal.

However, Byun Ung-jun, spokesman for the United Liberal Democrats, said, "Our party has come to the conclusion that the time has come for the president to reexamine his North Korea policies. Minister Lim should resign to allow the government to run smoothly."

"This marked the first full-fledged cooperation between the Grand National Party and the United Liberal Democrats," Mr. Kwon claimed.

by Lee Chul-hee