LEAD) President dismayed by Assembly normalization

(
(ATTN: CHANGES slug; RECASTS header;UPDATES with remarks from the presidential
spokesman)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office on Wednesday appeared to be
anything but happy about the dramatic and long-awaited end to the struggle
between the rival parties that left the National Assembly literally paralyzed for
nearly a month.

Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, said late
Tuesday that it was "deplorable when we have a long way to go."
The remarks came shortly after the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and the main
opposition Democratic Party agreed to end their struggle over contentious
government bills that include the ratification of a free trade agreement with the
United States and so-called media-related reforms which, if passed, would allow
private businesses and newspapers to own stakes in broadcasting companies.
The presidential spokesman did not specify exactly what was deplorable, but it
was widely understood by most of the country's news outlets that he was
commenting on or implying the fact that the agreement between the rival parties
could delay the passage of what the presidential office has labeled as "urgent
legislation" related to the welfare and livelihood of citizens in the lower
bracket.
The agreement, however, states the parties have agreed to legislate most of the
proposed bills, including 58 of 85 media-related bills, before the end of this
month, and the rest before the end of February.
The only exception was made on the 17 most contended media-related bills, which
the sides agreed to discuss indefinitely until they reach an agreement.
Earlier calls to his office were not returned, but the spokesman later said in a
press briefing that the government bills have been wrongfully labeled as "evil"
or bad laws, apparently implying they should have been passed without any delay.
"Important bills were not passed because of bad naming that labeled them as evil
laws," Lee said, adding the National Assembly has been normalized only to a half
point.
The ruling party had repeatedly asked National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o to
use his authority to put the bills to vote without a partisan compromise, a move
that was claimed by the opposition to have been incited by pressure from the
presidential office.
Kim, a former GNP member, had refused to do so, inviting severe criticism from
his former party and apparently the president himself, who on Friday said the
government could add more speed to its efforts to revive the country's slumping
economy, "only if the National Assembly would help."
National Assembly speakers are prohibited by law from affiliation with any
political party, though they are allowed to return to their former party after
stepping down.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)