Word: chun
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...Chun's decision to back down from his April 13 order was prompted in part by a caucus of 141 National Assembly members belonging to the ruling Democratic Justice Party. Normally an occasion used to hand down party policy from on high, last week's session turned into a lively and surprisingly diversified exchange of views on how to deal with the constitutional dispute. Several members recommended holding a referendum, as the opposition has demanded. At least one legislator favored simply abolishing the existing system of choosing a chief executive by means of an electoral college, which critics charge gives...
After hearing the results of the caucus discussion the following day from Roh Tae Woo, who has been designated by the ruling party as its presidential candidate in next winter's national election, Chun agreed to meet with the opposition's Kim Young Sam. That in itself was a notable concession, since Chun has not only shunned Kim in the past but two months ago placed him under investigation after he had criticized Chun in a speech for making political use of the Olympics. The long record of enmity between the two men was clear from the moment Kim arrived...
...Chun opened the talks by telling Kim he had "been wishing to see ((him)) all along" and had not previously met with him only because of "difficult circumstances." He then proceeded to compare the campaign to reform South Korea's constitution by referendum to go, a popular Oriental board game in which two opponents seek to outflank each other and expand territory with scores of strategically deployed small stones. Said Chun: "Political development will become difficult if we behave like a go player who angrily sweeps the go board clean in the middle of a game because he is doing...
Stalemated on that most crucial of issues, the two men moved on to other subjects. Pressed by Kim as to whether he was fully aware of the gravity of the situation, Chun assured his visitor he had received complete and voluminous reporting on the demonstrations and other developments. Said the President, who was seated next to a table holding a glass ashtray: "In fact, I have been smoking heavily because of the pressure of reading so many reports." Chun pointedly refused to rule out a military crackdown, claiming that "hard-core leftists" were partly responsible for the current disorders...
While agreeing to end the house arrest of Kim Dae Jung, Chun refused to restore his political rights, which were stripped after Kim was convicted by a military court of sedition in 1980. The President said his decision was influenced by the "attitude of the person concerned." Translation: Kim, who once ran for President and won 46% of the vote, is still too large a threat to the ruling party to risk restoring him to full political activity. Finally, Chun promised to order the release of nearly all the 300 demonstrators arrested during the current round of protests but indicated...