S. Korea’s Roh, 3 Opposition Leaders Meet

President Roh Tae Woo met for the first time Saturday with three prominent opposition leaders, attempting to bridge the gap between the two sides with a wide-ranging discussion that one opposition leader described as “significant . . . though no full agreement was reached.”

Roh, who began a five-year term as president Feb. 25, discussed issues ranging from political prisoners to reunification of the two Koreas during a luncheon with opposition leaders Kim Dae Jung, Kim Young Sam and Kim Jong Pil at the Blue House official residence, a presidential spokesman said.

It was the first official meeting between the four since Roh’s inauguration as president.

Relations between Roh and the three Kims have been strained since Roh defeated a divided opposition in the Dec. 16 election to replace former President Chun Doo Hwan. The opposition accused Roh’s ruling party of election fraud, but Kim Dae Jung and Kim Young Sam were widely criticized for failing to unify the opposition.

Took Control of Assembly

In the April 26 parliamentary election, however, the three main opposition parties together won a commanding 165 seats in the 299-seat National Assembly.

After Saturday’s four-hour session, opposition leaders characterized the meeting as important even though there was disagreement.

“The meeting proceeded in a sincere manner and was useful, though it was regrettable that there was no clear accord on the prisoner release issue,” Kim Dae Jung said.

“It was a useful meeting,” Kim Young Sam said. “The fact that the meeting took place is significant in itself though no full agreement was produced.”

The three Kims urged that all political prisoners be freed without delay. Roh replied that many have already been released and he will instruct authorities concerned to study the possibility of additional releases, the spokesman said.

Roh made it clear that those guilty of heinous crimes such as murder and confirmed communists and anti-state criminals cannot be set free, the spokesman said.