[Editorial] What`s the Reality of Constitutional Revision Story?

An alleged constitutional revision document by the ruling party created controversies in the political circle. It is hard to believe the ruling party`s claim that the document seems to be a simple note of a person or a document intended to damage the ruling side, considering the content and its format.

The document includes the plans to accomplish a visible achievement such as a conclusion of the peace treaty and, with the achievement, to merge the ruling coalition of the New Millennium Democratic Party, the United Liberal Democrats, and the Democratic People`s Party. The plan hints at the usage of the constitutional revision and the merge of the ruling coalition for the regaining of the political power.

Just a month ago, the institute of new era strategy that has 70 lawmakers of NMDP as members asserted the need to `publicize the unified constitution`. President Kim Dae-Jung also uttered in October of last year that ``the situation might require of the national referendum in terms of the Inter-Korean relationship.`` For this reason, the opposing party claims that the ruling side had a plot to revise the constitution for the unified constitution upon the visit of chairperson Kim Jong-Il and to move forward with a plan for the extension of the power.

No matter what is wrong with the assertion of the opposing party, the idea to use the visit of chairperson Kim for the extension of the political power is a typical naivety. If the government uses the return visit for the benefit of a party, it will hinder its own causes and principles for the North Korean policies.

The idea to find a pretext for the revision of the constitution by the return visit of chairperson Kim Jong-Il is also very dangerous. The revision of the constitution has to be prudently considered even at the time that the urgent revision seems necessary and the most of the people agree for the revision. One must remind how much the constitutional revisions by the military dictators have ruined our constitutional history. We should make a unified constitution some day. But now is definitely not the right time.

The most serious worries are the side-effects of the political maneuver of the Kim`s return visit to Seoul. The North will benefit such Korean political situation and the South government that is desperate to achieve a visible outcome may move with unreasonable steps. That`s why some criticize that the current press tax probe is for the control of the press before the Kim`s return visit.

If anyone of the ruling side has such idea in mind, they should give it up. It would be a great illusion if they believe that the constitutional revision is possible at this time.