The ruling Millennium Democratic Party attacked opposition Grand National Party leader Lee Hoi-chang, Thursday, over a report by the Washington Post that said he "approved" of US President George W. Bush calling North Korea part of an axis of evil. It said that it will try to get a copy of the transcript of the interview Lee gave when he visited the United States.

In response the GNP said the report was incorrect and the MDP was taking out its failed 'sunshine policy' on the US and opposition.

MDP Spokesman Lee Nak-hyeon told a party meeting he had requested a copy of Lee's interview to be submitted to the National Assembly Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, adding it would arrive soon.

GNP Floor Leader Lee Jae-oh said if the ruling party accuses Lee of pro-US activities on his visit to America in a false and exaggerated way, he will blame President Kim Dae-jung for a comprehensive failure in policy on the US and North Korea. Lee continued the current government had been too hasty and unilateral in its policy on the North, which had brought about current problems at issue on the peninsula.

GNP spokesman Nam Kyong-pil also said problems stemmed from North Korea's weapons of mass destruction aimed towards the South and the failure of US policy by the current government. Meanwhile, the GNP decided to send a letter requesting a correction and explanation to the editor in chief of the Post.

(Yoon Young-shin, ysyoon@chosun.com )