Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang said Friday he was the only person who could talk to the leaders of the US, Japan, China and Russia concerning North Korea's nuclear programs. Lee continued that if elected, he would visit the US and also seek to meet with the North's leader Kim Jong Il on the matter. He added Pyongyang's missiles were aimed at the South and without solving this issue there could not be peace on the peninsula.

In a campaign speech, Lee said that despite this Millennium Democratic Party candidate Roh Moo-hyun was in favor of continuing cash aid, and opposing inspections, and that if the issue were not solved there would be a huge crisis on the peninsula.

The MDP's Roh also urged the North to halt its operation of nuclear facilities in a rally in Seoul and said if elected he would send National Alliance 21 leader Chung Mong-joon as a special envoy to the US, China and if possible to North Korea to open dialogue before his inauguration.

He added the US should solve the nuclear problem through negotiations and called for the current Korean government to make more of an effort that the administration did in 1994. Roh said that if cash aid were cut off from the North then dialogue channels would be closed. (Shin Jong-ryok, jrshin@chosaun.com )