President¡¯s goal is Korean peace deal

President Kim Dae-Jung, in connection with North Korean Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il's Seoul visit next spring, said that their talks would focus on the establishment of an inter-Korean peace system.

In a special interview with Joong-Ang Ilbo dated Sept. 21, Kim asserted that the forthcoming inter-Korean summit should not end up as a ceremonial gathering but become an occasion to pave the way for the two Koreas to develop further their mutual relations, even more productive than the previous Pyongyang summit in June.

The president disclosed that his ultimate policy goal is to put an end to the Cold War era on the Korean peninsula, on the formula that the two Koreas agree on a peace regime and that the United States and China guarantee it.

With regard to Culture-Tourism Minister Park Jie-Won's resignation, Kim said that he felt sorry for his resignation but that it was more important to shed light on the bank loan scandal. Since Minister Park quit his post and the prosecution has launched full-scale investigations into the case, the scam should be thoroughly probed and brought to light in fair and transparent manner, Kim stressed.

However, referring to the opposition party's demand for the introduction of a special prosecutor, the president virtually rejected it, saying that a special prosecutor won't be necessary, as the National Assembly is empowered to conduct a special investigation into the case. He added that the Assembly should resolve the dispute through its interrogation of government agencies and special inspections.