Two party heads hold talks; agree to address pending issues

President Kim Dae-Jung and the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) leader Lee Hoi-Chang, holding a bipartisan summit at Chong Wa Dae Monday, reached a four-point agreement. The pact provides they will make joint efforts to address urgent issues including inter-Korean problems and regularize their political summit talks.

During a three-hour-long meeting over lunch, the two leaders shared the view that the people's growing distrust with politics is a liability to the political circle and agreed to jointly endeavor to put politics back on track for mutual survival.

They concurred on establishing an ad hoc committee on inter-Korean relations in the National Assembly -- which was previously requested by the GNP -- and activating the bipartisan policy consultation committee within the month in order to resolve all problems related to people's livelihood. The special two-party panel has been suspended since the third round of talks last May.

Agreeing that the two parties will positively cooperate in solving economic and other problems with mutual confidence, Kim and Lee agreed to make it a rule to hold their bipartisan talks every two months, with the next meeting scheduled for December, Chong Wa Dae spokesman Park Joon-Young and GNP spokesman Kwon Chul-Hyeon disclosed.