Partisan Bickering to be Suspended

Chairman of the Grand National Party (GNP) Seo Chung-Won held a press conference on May 24 and said, `This is the time to gather the national forces to make the World Cup finals a successful event,` and added, `For this reason, we will suspend all the political struggles including outdoor rallies that may be viewed as being partisan wrangling beyond general party affairs.`

Chairman Seo explained the meaning of partisan bickering, `That means we are not going to expand or reproduce groundless rumors or opinions,` but added, `When the prosecution investigation on graft scandals of the sons of the president and on the total corruption and injustice of the current administration is going nowhere, then we will expose the truth before the people by mobilizing all the means after the event of the World Cup finals.`

Likewise, GNP presidential hopeful Lee Hoi-Chang declared in a discussion with broadcasting reporters in the day, `Urging the investigation on the corrupt and unjust activities of the presidential family is not a partisan act.`

Additionally chairman Seo said, `If necessary, we will do our best in fulfilling a successful World Cup including actively participating in various voluntary service activities by mobilizing countrywide organizations of the GNP.`

He said then that he might accept the party political leaders` meeting proposed by the chairman of the Millennium Democratic Party Han Hwa-Kap, saying,` I have no reason not to meet him to discus the general affairs of political circle and the support issue of the World Cup finals.`

The Blue House, the MDP, and the Union of Liberal Democrats (ULD) all promptly issued welcoming comments on the content of chairman Seo`s message in the press conference and urged a practical effort to stop the partisan disputes.

Sung-Won Park swpark@donga.com