Assembly standoff in 3d day

The National Assembly was crippled for the third straight day Wednesday with the ruling party and opposition members refusing to resolve Monday's name-calling incidents.

The Millennium Democratic Party demanded Wednesday that the Grand National Party apologize for "violently pulling Representative Song Sok-chan from the podium" Monday when Mr. Song verbally blasted the opposition leader, Lee Hoi-chang.

Representative Lee Sang-soo of the ruling party said the party would drop the issue of Grand National Park Sung-kook's remark Tuesday that President Kim Dae-jung's administration is the "Red Guard of Kim Jong-il's regime." But Mr. Lee maintained that the opposition party apologize for manhandling Mr. Song. Despite pleas from their chairman, Han Kwang-ok, the ruling party members said they would continue to boycott the assembly until the opposition apologizes.

The Grand National Party floor leader, Lee Jae-oh, shot back, saying the ruling party should apologize first for Mr. Song's comments. "If the ruling party continues its boycott, we will also boycott the remaining committee meetings scheduled," he said.

Members of the Grand National Party rushed to the office of Assembly Speaker Lee Man-sup on Wednesday asking that the assembly session continue without the ruling party members.

by Kim Chong-hyuk