Assembly Speaker Goads Own Party

With the National Assembly in disarray over an opposition lawmaker's controversial remarks calling for the president's resignation, Lee Man-sup, the Assembly speaker, said Sunday he would hold a plenary session Monday with only opposition lawmakers if the dispute is not resolved by Monday morning.

"Politics, both here and abroad, are mired in difficulty and the parliament cannot remain closed indefinitely," said Mr. Lee, a member of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party. If he opens a plenary session on Monday, it will be the first time since the founding of the republic in 1948 for a speaker to preside over a parliamentary session with only opposition lawmakers.

He blamed his own party for holding up the Assembly, saying he felt the apology issued by the opposition floor leader and the warning given to the offending lawmaker were sufficient to end the dispute.

Lee Sang-soo, the ruling party floor leader, said dealing with the opposition Grand National Party would be meaningless unless Representative Ahn Taek-soo apologized for his remark. Mr. Ahn has said that President Kim Dae-jung should resign to take responsibility for calling the Korean War a "failed attempt for unification."

The ruling party was taken aback by what amounts to a revolt by Mr. Lee against the party line. Song Hoon-seok, the senior deputy floor leader, said while he received a phone call from the speaker urging both parties to resolve the dispute and open the parliament, he was dumbfounded by Mr. Lee's decision to hold the plenary session without the ruling party.

"There is no precedent and it's virtually impossible," Mr. Song said. "He will probably open the session and immediately call it off," he predicted.

Some senior ruling party officials criticized Mr. Lee, saying he was putting his personal popularity ahead of the party.

The Grand National Party welcomed the decision. Kwon Chul-hyun, the opposition party spokesman, said Mr. Lee had made a decision supported by the majority of the people. Lee Jae-oh, the opposition floor leader, said the decision will further distance the ruling party from the public.

by Kim Chong-hyuk