Two-party coalition revived

President Kim Dae-Jung, who also heads the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), and Kim Jong-Pil, leader of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), agreed Monday that the two parties should work together on all state affairs for the sake of achieving economic recovery and stabilizing the lives of the people.

After a dinner at the presidential mansion, Cheong Wa Dae, attended also by the wives of the two, President Kim and the honorary president of the splinter party officially declared the restoration of their coalition. The two leaders agreed to meet once a month to ensure close bipartisanship and to hold more meetings whenever necessary.

Under their accord, two bipartisan bodies for policy consultation and coordination will be reactivated shortly. It was the second time for the two Kims to announce a formal statement of agreement since they issued an agreement in November 1997 to field a single presidential candidate.

"With a view to building a society for economic recovery, improved well-being of the people and stronger law and order, we have resolved to concentrate our joint efforts in all aspects of state administration with the same goal to which this Government of the People committed itself at its inception," the statement said.

The two party heads reportedly were of one opinion as to bringing to light all the facts about the alleged diversion of the state intelligence agency funds to electioneering, sparing no one from extensive investigations.

"Everything came out well," the president said after the meeting, while the ULD's Kim pledged to successfully carry through with the alliance to the end of the presidential term, according to presidential spokesman Park Joon-Young.