[Editorial] The Time to Think over `Low Level Federation System

Presidential candidate of the Grand National Party (GNP) Lee Hoi-Chang criticized the Article 2 of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration that deals with the unification measures at the invitational panel discussion organized by the Kwanhun Club, saying, `If North Korea try to implement the federation system, I think the article should be abolished,` the comment of which is causing a political dispute. Presidential hopeful of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) Roh Moo-Hyun has swiftly reacted saying, `The criticism serves to the emotion of the people and is an enormous setback for the progress of inter-Korean relationships,` at the representatives workshop of the MDP yesterday.

We expect, on this occasion of tick-and-tack between the presidential candidates, the discussion on unifications measures to be more exposed publicly during the remaining six months` presidential campaign. The next president will have a big homework of establishing the unification methodology.

When we look at the matter closely, it is clear that the root of the dispute of this kind rests on the formulation process itself of the June 15 declaration. That is, the Article 2 contending `The confederation system of South side and the low level federation system of North side have a common ground` has a `hereditary limitation` of not going through the process of the debate on public domain.

The `low level federation system` is an unfamiliar word appeared first in the June 15 joint declaration. Neither our society and political circle have discussed the terminology, nor the North side has used the word previously, and high officials of North Korea made little official explanation of the terminology even after the June 15 joint declaration. In a word, the terminology has a murky origin.

From that perspective, the explanation of chief presidential secretary on diplomacy, security Lim Seong-Jun saying yesterday, `The low level federation system of North Koran is closer to our definition of the confederation system,` is an easy-going manipulative interpretation. Rather since North side claims, `South side agreed on to the federation system of North Korea,` the North and South may have different interpretation on the article.

The active discussion surrounding the unification measures is a good occasion to cleanup these unclear points. The immediately expected beneficial effect of the discussion may be the calming down of the nervousness of the people.