Interview with Lee Hoi-Chang, ``It Is Not Good to Beg Kim Jong-Il for a Return Visit``

President of the Grand National Party (GNP) Lee Hoi-Chang said yesterday with regard to the meeting of the ruling-opposition leaders that ``in order for the meeting to give surety to the people, adequate pre-examinations and the sympathy between the two sides should be realized. This is not the right time.`` At the special interview with Donga Il-bo, the GNP leader Lee said that ``having considered President Kim Dae-Jung’s outlook on the intrusion of the NLL by the North Korean ships, I am concerned whether the meeting can provide an answer which people want to hear.`` ``I was lost for words when I heard President saying that the Navy responded well to the encroachment of the NLL and our territorial waters by the North Korean ships,`` Lee added. Lee also asked, ``The issue of security is not the issue of the left-right, but the issue of people’s survival. Are progressive people saying that the breakdown of the security is not a problem?``

With regard to the return visit by Kim Jong-Il, North Korea’s National Defense Commission Chairman, the GNP president Lee said that ``President urged the return visit in terms of building the South-North trust. However, it is not good for President to beg for it. It is not a good attitude to appeal for the return visit as if the return visit is the most important issue and everything will be resolved by the return visit.`` However, Lee showed flexibility on the issue of applying the South-North principle of reciprocity saying that ``to give one and to receive one from North is not the principle of reciprocity. Sometimes, a strategic principle of reciprocity, which waits for the countermeasure after giving one, is desirable.`` ``For example, humanitarian supports, such as food and medicine, cannot be applied to the principle of reciprocity. Strategic resources like electric power cannot be given at random. If we give electric power, we should be able to accomplish the measurement for the alleviation of the military tension from North,`` Lee added.

Song In-Soo issong@donga.com