Talks Seen Challenge to Powers That Be

Former President Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil, the head of the United Liberal Democrats, met late Monday night, reportedly to discuss an alliance to knock President Kim Dae-jung's Millennium Democratic Party out of the Blue House in the 2002 presidential election.

The two political bosses agreed to oppose the current administration's North Korea policy and support the release of the jailed owners of three major newspapers.

Analysts are watching the aftermath of the meeting closely, saying it could presage the formation of a new party.

If the two Kims formed a new party it could challenge the strongest candidates of both the ruling and opposition establishments, analysts said. Kim Young-sam's power base covers Pusan and South Kyongsang province; Kim Jong-pil enjoys bastions of support in North Chungchong province and South Chungchong province.

In addition to their existing power bases, political analysts said they expect the two to recruit legislators away from the opposition Grand National Party, such as Park Geun-hye, former President Park Chung Hee's daughter, and Kim Yoon-hwan of the Democratic People's Party.

by Chun Young-gi