Unified Constitution Requires Consensus

The New Age Strategy Institute (head of the Institute Kim Won-Gil), which is an affiliated institution of the New Millennium Democratic Party, held a symposium for the discussions about the `unified constitution,` entitled ``Comparing the Two Unification Methods of the North-South Confederation and the Loose Federation,`` at the National Assembly`s Constitution Memorial Hall.

The participants of the panel were 7 scholars including Park Sang-Chul (professor of Constitution, Kyonggi University) and 6 lawmakers including Rep. Kim Keun-Tae (supreme member of NMDP) and Rep. Lee Bu-Young of GNP.

Professor Park remarked in his theme address that ``when both Koreas discuss the unification constitution in the process of the unification, it is necessary to consider the peculiarity of Korea. And the South must be aware that the unified constitution should not be biased by the South-centered constitution.`` He also added that ``the South congresspersons who represent the Korean citizens and the North Supreme People`s Council who is in proxy of the North Korean people must not be identified. When suggesting a unified constitution, the South has to make sure of the representative-ness rather than the proxy from the North.

Professor Park also advised to establish a tentatively named `law concerning the advance notice for the unified constitution` to collect the opinions of the people and the social organizations. He added that the unification policy must not be a target of the political attacks when the policy has formed in accordance with the order of `just unification perspective`- `full discussions about unification`- `consistent unification policy.`

Professor Kim Jae-Hong of Kyonggi University mentioned, ``the basic agreement on the current issues of the both Koreas is necessary before the full-scale discussions about the unified constitution. And to accomplish the first article of the 6.15 Inter-Korean Declaration, that is, `the principle of the independent resolution of the unification matters,` North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il must keep his promise for the return visit to Seoul.``

Rep. Kim Keun-Tae said at the general discussion that ``the most serious difficulty for the establishment of the peace system in the Korean peninsula since the 6.15 Inter-Korean Declaration is the split national opinions. Based on the national consensus on the engagement policy, the agreement between the ruling and opposing parties and the press is urgently required.``

Rep. Lee Bu-Young asserted that ``when the opposing party takes the power, it needs to appreciate and inherit the accomplishments of the present administration in the inter-Korean relationship.

Moon Chul fullmoon@donga.com