Korea Ruling Party Agrees to Start Talks on Constitutional Revision, Direct Voting

The ruling Democratic Justice Party agreed Friday to begin negotiations with the opposition next week on constitutional revisions aimed at direct presidential elections later this year.

But it turned aside opposition demands to discuss other volatile issues, including political prisoners, in the same forum.

The eight-member negotiating panel will include four high-level officials from the ruling party and four from the main opposition Reunification Democratic Party. The agreement on the timing and composition of the panel was announced by Chung Suk Mo and Kim Young Bae, secretaries general, respectively, of the two parties.

Kim and other opposition representatives proposed that the negotiators also take up continued demands for the release of all remaining political prisoners and abolition of the government’s “wanted list” of political suspects. The Democratic Justice representatives balked at the proposal, saying that civil rights issues should be handled separately.

Kim said he also discussed with the ruling party representatives the opposition demands for parole and suspension of prosecution against Reunification Democratic Party members arrested or indicted in connection with anti-government demonstrations. And he called on the government to help restore the jobs of teachers, journalists and workers fired for “political reasons.”

“I am confident the government will come up with another package of reconciliatory measures for them,” he said.

On political prisoners, most of whom are students, Kim said the two sides agreed to set up a special human rights joint committee to discuss their fate, outside of the negotiations on constitutional reform. The government has released 534 prisoners, but by its own figures still holds nearly 500. The opposition charges that far more remain jailed.

Political prisoners are the hottest issue remaining from the tumult of June and early July that forced the government to give in to opposition demands for direct elections and other major democratic reforms.

Tension and demonstrations have eased in the past two weeks, but police buses and plainclothesmen have been stationed around the capital in recent days. Student leaders say they are watching the political developments closely. Diplomats and political analysts agree that the students could lead street demonstrations again when school resumes in September, if not before, if the prisoner issue is not resolved in some way.

Meanwhile, all parties declared this week that they are suspending political activities to turn their attention to flood relief for central South Korea, swamped by a typhoon and heavy rains that left more than 250 dead. Nevertheless, in what had at least the appearance of political moves, President Chun Doo Hwan, ruling party presidential nominee Roh Tae Woo and main opposition leaders Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung all visited the flood areas or relief offices.

In the constitutional talks, the two parties, which are preparing separate drafts for revision, agreed on a target of reaching a compromise by the end of August. The election would choose a successor to Chun, who has vowed to step down next February, the end of his presidential term.

According to press reports, the four opposition members of the negotiating panel are expected to include representatives of both the Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung factions.

The ruling party said that it will also hold constitutional revision talks with two minor opposition parties, the Korea National Party and the New Korea Democratic Party. On Thursday, Kim Jong Pil, prime minister under the administration of President Park Chung Hee, who was assassinated in 1979, indicated that he will seek the presidency under the National Party banner.