Mixed Responses from Political Circles over Inter-Korean Summit

The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) on Wednesday expressed its objections to holding an inter-Korean summit, while the pro-ruling forces hailed the second summit talks.

After the GNP leadership and four presidential hopefuls urgently convened a special meeting at Daejeon, where a joint speech session was held, they declared its opposition to the planned inter-Korean summit, saying, “Holding the summit talk appears to be inappropriate and politically motivated, given that it will take place in Pyongyang in the latter term of the incumbent presidency, just ahead of presidential elections. In addition, the government has secretly pushed the second inter-Korean summit without making the procedures public and even failed to set an agenda.”

GNP spokesperson, Na Gyeong-won, added, “Now that the government seems to be determined to pursue the Inter-Korean Summit talks, we hope the government would use this opportunity not to tap public sentiment to support the liberal camp before the presidential election, but to produce tangible results from the talks.” The conservative party argued that the talks should produce fruitful results in areas such as denuclearization, Return of POWs and abductees from North Korea, Human rights of the North Koreans and transparent talks. It also expressed its opposition to striking a peace deal without first achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

Former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak and another GNP presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye partially agreed to the summit talks, commenting at the meeting, “The agenda and procedures of the talk should be transparent.” On the other hand, Uri party chairman Jeong Se-gyun welcomed the announcement of the summit talks, “Our party has consistently raised the necessity of the Inter-Korean talk and we welcome the two Koreas reaching an agreement to hold the summit.”

Oh Chung-il, chairman of the United New Democratic Party, said, “We hope that the summit talks become regularized and contribute to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

Floor leader Choi In-gi of the Democratic Party stated, “We welcome the second summit talks in seven years. What is regrettable is the failure of Kim Jong Il’s promise to visit Seoul. We also hope the summit talks will bring about a breakthrough in the POW and abductee issues.

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