Rare Koreas summit seen as peace hope

SOUTH KOREA: A former South Korean president Wednesday described a rare summit to be held with North Korea as “a great step forward for peace,” but the main opposition dismissed it as an election stunt.

Kim Dae-Jung, who seven years ago held the first and so far only meeting with the North’s Kim Jong-Il, said he greatly welcomed the news that his successor Roh Moo-Hyun and Kim Jong-Il will meet in Pyongyang late this month.

“The summit will be a great step forward for peace and exchanges between the two sides,” the former leader said in a statement.

However, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) rejected the move as an election stunt to give Roh’s preferred candidate a boost in the December 19 presidential election.

“We oppose the inter-Korean summit, which is taking place at an inappropriate time and venue and through opaque procedures,” said the party, whose candidates are currently far ahead in opinion polls.

“The summit, which is being prepared as an election stunt, will only spark public resentment and backfire,” its statement said.

“The summit, which lacks transparency and fairness and has no agreed-upon agenda backed by the public, will end up as a backroom deal and result in ridiculously generous aid to pamper the North with.”

Jhe Seong-Ho, head of the Newright Union civic group, also said the summit was aimed at rallying support for pro-government candidates.

The June 2000 meeting greatly reduced tension and expanded exchanges between the two nations, who remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.

Kim received a Nobel Peace Prize after the summit but came under attack from opponents, who said he had bought the summit.

A probe launched by a special prosecutor in 2003 found that the Hyundai Group transferred 500 million dollars to Pyongyang through illicit channels with the help of the South Korean leader’s top officials.

Hyundai says the transfer was in return for its rights to development projects in the North.

The pro-government Uri Party founded by Roh expressed hope that the summit will “provide a momentum to resolving pending issues,” including the nuclear disarmament of North Korea and establishing a new peace system.

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a progressive activists’ group, said it would provide an opportunity to discuss easing tensions and establishing permanent peace.

Big business groups were also supportive.

In separate statements the nation’s five largest business associations said the meeting would help the two sides upgrade economic cooperation, Yonhap news agency reported.

“This summit is expected to give a new impetus for the Kaesong industrial complex,” said Kim Ki-moon, chairman of the Korean Federation of Small and Medium Business.

Seoul, Wednesday, AFP, Reuters