The Grand National Party demanded Tuesday an explanation and the background of Millennium Democratic Party Assemblyman Song Seok-chan's description of President George W. Bush as the "incarnation of evil." Lee Kang-du GNP Policy Committee head said Song's terminology was exactly the same as that used by North Korea's Central Radio and his statement that President Bush's "axis of evil" speech was a declaration of war on the North was also the same as that country's foreign ministry, and party organ the Rodong Shinmun.

In a speech at the National Assembly Floor Leader Lee Jae-oh said if Song's comments stand then President Kim Dae-jung was holding a summit with "the incarnation of evil." Lee told a staff meeting later that the remarks were a degrading attempt by the government to strike a deal with Bush over North Korea by promoting anti-US sentiment.

Party Spokesman Nam Kyong-pil said the speech by Song and his conception of the US encouraged anti-American sentiment, while his deputy, Chang Kwang-keun added that the government was provoking this to appease North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Song reluctantly apologized under MDP leadership pressure, but most party lawmakers agreed with his sentiment, merely stating that his use of speech was wrong. They said that most of the MDP were anti-Bush because his State of the Union Address had hurt President Kim Dae-jung's sunshine policy.

On February 8 at the National Assembly Unification, Diplomacy and Trade Committee, MDP Lawmaker Lim Chae-jeong criticized the US for blaming North Korea for their deteriorating relations, saying that it had an attitude problem. Kim Song-ho, also from the ruling party said the Bush administration was destroying the relations the Clinton government had built up over eight years, in just one year. In private many MDP members use much stronger anti-Bush language.

However, MDP assemblymen Kim Young-bai, Song Hoon-seok and Choi Myong-hon said that while having critical private opinions, as members of the ruling party people should be more considerate when making speeches.

(Hong Seok-joon, udo@chosun.com )