Party Chiefs to Hold Meeting

President Kim Dae-jung and opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang will meet Tuesday at the Blue House to discuss bipartisan cooperation in the wake of the U.S. attack on terrorist camps in Afghanistan.

"President Kim proposed the meeting with Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party," said Oh Hong-keun, the Blue House spokesman. "They will discuss the impact of the U.S. attack on the domestic economy and public welfare."

Prior to the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Jin Nyum and Defense Minister Kim Dong-shin will brief Mr. Kim and Mr. Lee on the government's possible options.

The meeting is the first between the two in nine months and the first since the breakdown of the ruling coalition between the Millennium Democratic Party and the United Liberal Democrats. Mr. Oh, the Blue House spokesman, said the two sides have agreed to limit the agenda to the repercussions of the U.S. attacks on Korea. He also made a point of noting that the two leaders would not sit together during lunch.

But the opposition camp was still cautiously optimistic that the two may discuss other issues.

"Even though the agenda is limited, they are bound to touch upon the basic causes of the current national crisis and the public's anxiety," an aide to the opposition leader said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the opposition leader expressed full support for the fight against terrorism as he spoke at the National Assembly on Monday, but berated the current state of domestic affairs. Mr. Lee called the recent series of alleged cases of corruption, including the financial scandal involving Lee Yong-ho, chairman of G&G Group, the result of "privatizing government power" by some groups.

"I will risk my political career to correct that," Mr. Lee. He also called for a parliamentary investigation into the Lee Yong-ho case. The opposition party submitted the proposal for a parliamentary investigation immediately after the speech.

by Kim Jin-kook