`Minister Lim- Director General Shin Have to Resign`

At the National Assembly`s Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee (UFATC) meeting held yesterday, lawmakers of the Grand National Party (GNP) and the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) urged Minister of Unification Lim Dong-Won to resign voluntarily to take responsibility for the approval for the Pyongyang `8.15 Festival` delegates to visit North Korea.

At the UFATC meeting, lawmaker Yoo Hung-Soo (GNP) said, ``The government asked people of inimical organizations to apply for the visit to North Korea with membership of other organizations.`` ``Since it means the government opened a door to NK who knows their identity, minister Lim has to take the responsibility.`` he argued.

Lawmaker Kim Jong-Ho (ULD) said, ``Although we acknowledge minister Lim`s contribution on the `sunshine policy`, he is causing trouble for the president and the relationship between the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and the ULD.`` ``Since passing the replacement proposal by voting is not a prudent idea, minister Lim should decide to step down.`` he added.

At his official answering session, minister Lim said, ``The government had made sure that if the delegates to NK wanted to participate the ceremony at the `Three Unification Charters Monument`, it would not approve the visit. And the government gave the delegates permission because they had promised not to participate the ceremony.``

However, minister Lim did not mention about whether he will resign.

Regarding the issue of opening a ground root to Mt. Kumgang, minister remarked, ``The government is propelling a plan in which Hyundai Asan Co (HAC)`s president Chung Mong-Huen visits North Korea to urge them to fulfill the agreed articles. At a meeting held on 16, 17, North Korea told the HAC that they are trying to open the ground rout, but it is taking time to adjust their inside opinions.``

At the Information Committee (IC) meeting, Lee Yun-Sung and Chung Hyung-Kun, lawmakers of the GNP, asked Director General of NIS Shin Kuhn to resign saying, ``The fact that the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which regulates policies on North Korea, virtually aided the NK delegates` abnormal behavior, it is an obvious dereliction of their duty.``

The IC selected Whang Jang-Yup, former secretary of North Korea`s Labor Party, Kim Duek-Hong, and seven 8.15 delegates to North Korea as testifiers for the government office inspection.

Song In-Soo issong@donga.com