North Korea Must Solve the Problem of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Lee Hoi-Chang, the president of the Grand National Party, urged the North to resume missile negotiations with the U.S. and to immediately accept nuclear inspection by IAEA yesterday. He also requested the peaceful effort to solve the problem through dialogue with the North.

Mr. Lee stated at the representative speech of the 227th special session of the National Assembly, "Without resolving the problem of the North`s weapons of mass destruction (WMD), there will be no peace in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea must actively cooperate to solve this problem and the U.S. also has to try to invite the North to the negotiation table with patience."

He also remarked that "A joint strategy to remove the threat of the North`s WMD and to establish peace in the Korean Peninsula must be made at the Korea-U.S. summit during 19th-21st. I will not hesitate a second for non-partisan cooperation and give support for peace in the Korean Peninsula."

With regard to the corruption case related to Lee Hyung-Taek, nephew of the First Lady, Mr. Lee commented that "People consider the corruption case as an overall corruption of the government and an incident of serious degradation of official discipline. President Kim as the supreme leader of the national administration must apologize directly to the people."

He added that to remove the corruption cases, the Special Prosecution must be introduced for the investigation on the suspicious cases related to powerful institutions such as the Public Prosecution, National Intelligence Service, and the Cheong Wa Dae. He also requested the establishment of a Corruption Investigation Committee in the National Assembly, the political neutrality of the NIS, Public Prosecution, and the National Tax Service, and reforms in human resources.

Mr. Lee also argued for the gradual readjustment of the equalized education system that "has deepened the inequality in scholastic capacity and quality of education." He also promised to move forward with plans to improve the economic condition by making 6 percent economic growth, to fundamentally reshape the health insurance system and the 4 major national pensions, to amend the election law including the public election system, and the President`s report on the national administration to the National Assembly.

In-Soo Song issong@donga.com