Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 23, 1990 TAG: 9007230187
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA LENGTH: Medium
The resignations of all 79 opposition members in the 299-member National Assembly could throw the country into political crisis as it prepares for the first meeting ever between the prime ministers of North and South Korea.
The Roh government announced today that it was willing to negotiate with the communist north on conditions the north is setting for opening the border between the Koreas to travelers.
In a dramatic speech on Friday, Roh proposed that the common border be opened for five days in August on a trial basis, allowing people on both sides free travel. He said open borders could lead talks on unification.
But North Korea demanded that South Korea scrap its anti-communist national security laws, release prisoners jailed for promoting unification and allow South Korean dissidents to attend an Aug. 15 border rally sponsored by North Korea.
North Korea today proposed expanded high-level talks among government and political leaders of the two sides Friday. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, monitored in Tokyo, reported the proposal.
Longtime observers view the border talks as part of a continuing sporadic dialogue between rivals. Mutual distrust has blocked any real progress in prior talks.
Three South Korean Cabinet ministers said Seoul is willing to negotiate conditions set by the north and also suggested the two sides meet on Friday.
Kim Dae-jung, head of the leading opposition Party for Peace and Democracy, said his party welcomed efforts for border openings with North Korea. But he said Roh should not use the issue to bolster what he called sagging support for the governing Democratic Liberal Party.
The mass resignations from Parliament included 71 members of Kim's party and eight members from the splinter Democratic Party.
The legislators cleaned out their offices and said they and their staffs would refuse further government paychecks as of today.
They said they would not return unless the governing party agrees to discuss their demands, including new elections. They also want 26 controversial bills that were pushed through the legislature at a special session earlier this month returned to committee.
by CNB