Opposition party calls for normalized inter-Korean projects By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's main opposition party on Tuesday called
on the government to put more effort into getting stalled inter-Korean economic
projects back on track during a meeting with leaders of related business groups
here.
Seoul in July suspended a decade-old tour to North Korea's Mount Geumgang after
a tourist was shot dead by a North Korean soldier near the scenic resort. The
tour, operated by a South Korean company, had been a symbol of reconciliation
efforts between the two countries.
South Korea's seven-month-old government has also been negative on expanding the
Kaesong industrial complex in the North, which was agreed upon last October
between Seoul's former President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il.
"The Mount Geumgang tour and the Kaesong industrial complex have been serving as
showcases reflecting peace on the Korean Peninsula," Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of
the Democratic Party told business leaders Tuesday. "The government must withdraw
its hard-line policy toward North Korea and normalize for the sake of these
projects."
Cho Kun-shik, the newly appointed CEO of Hyundai Asan, operator of the
inter-Korean tourism projects, asked for the party's support in normalizing and
expanding businesses in the North.
"The inter-Korean relationship appears to be running in parallel," he said. "With
both sides benefiting from better economic cooperation, we hope to see more
effort from the political sector on this issue."
The former Hyundai Asan CEO stepped down late last month, taking responsibility
for the July 11 shooting death of a South Korean housewife, which has been
further chilling ties between the conservative Lee Myung-bak government and the
Stalinist state.
Taking a tougher position toward the North than his two liberal predecessors,
President Lee has held firm that his government will proceed with inter-Korean
cooperation projects only after the North abandons its nuclear ambitions.
President Lee in particular opposes implementing big-budget business programs
that place a significant financial burden on South Korean taxpayers already
suffering from rising inflation triggered by high oil costs.
North Korea, which tested a nuclear device in 2006, has recently been retreating
from a six-nation deal on denuclearization by restarting its main nuclear
reactor. The multilateral deal was struck between the two Koreas, Japan, China,
Russia and the United States.
Liberal opposition parties criticize Lee's hard-line policy, arguing a more
embracing attitude is necessary to resume to suspended dialogue.
The main opposition party plans to visit the Kaesong industrial complex next
month to mark the one year anniversary of the Oct. 4 joint declaration signed by
then President Roh. The delegation will be comprised of more than 100 lawmakers
and other party officials.