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"(Our) party will head towards reconciliation with a progressive and enthusiastic attitude." (*)

(Kim Choong-whan, GNP/한나라당)

GNP to soften stance on N.K.  (K. Herald, 3.13)
 
The conservative Grand National Party has announced that it will make a fundamental change to its hard-line approach to North Korea in light of improving relations following the latest breakthrough in the nuclear talks.
"While we will maintain the principles of our North Korean policies, we will put efforts into fundamentally changing the direction of the policies," said Kim Choong-whan, vice floor leader of the largest parliamentary bloc.

The GNP has been the representing voice for conservative and right-leaning voters of the South. It has clashed with the incumbent government as well as the prior Kim Dae-jung administration for their engagement policies towards the North.

"We will, from now on, condone and encourage various activities related to North Korea such as visiting Pyongyang, Gaeseong and Mount Geumgang for the exchange of business," Kim said.

The GNP's announcement comes amidst rising speculation that the Roh Moo-hyun government is pushing for an inter-Korean summit this year. The GNP has been criticizing the move in the belief that a successful summit could steal the limelight from its currently popular presidential candidates.

Inter-Korean relations are also picking up, with discussions being prepared on changing the Korean War armistice into a peace treaty in line with the ongoing nuclear negotiations

"From next month, members and lawmakers of the party will actively push for contacts with North Korea and participate in cooperation projects," Kim said.

"The party will head towards reconciliation with a progressive and enthusiastic attitude."

GNP lawmaker Chung Hyung-keun, who was once an intelligence official, said that the party does not oppose the peace treaty and that it also encourages normalization of ties between North Korea and the United States if it would help the communist regime reform and open up.

"The GNP will not be standing alone while circumstances are changing (on the Korean Peninsula)," Chung said in a radio interview with MBC.

Floor leader Kim Hyung-o also supported the party's change.

"The two Koreas as well as the United States and China must work to change the cease-fire line into a peace line for the sake of a permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula, and the GNP will cooperate fully," Kim said during a parliamentary meeting.

The four countries are planning to create a peace forum, separate from the nuclear talks, for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, which has been divided since the 1950-1953 Korean War.

The GNP, however, continued to criticize the government's push for a summit, opposing the planned visit by Uri Party Chairman Chung Se-kyun to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex this Thursday.

"For the party's leader to visit Gaeseong at a time of an extraordinary session means he is willing to ignore the public calls to deal with pending bills," Kim Choong-whan said.

Chung's trip follows last week's visit by former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to Pyongyang, where he met No. 2 leader Kim Yong-nam and reportedly discussed the possibility of holding a summit.

https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/03/14/200703140009.asp

* Haha, I really wanna see it!!

BTW.. the N.K. propaganda usually is calling the GNP a gang of reactionaries, fascists..^^ 

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☞ Opposition GNP Faces Backlash on North Korea Policy (K. Times, 3.13)