GNP Rep. Kim Yong-kap.

A total of 130 Grand National Party (GNP) representatives including Kim Yong-kap and Maeng Hyung-kyu held the founding ceremony of the 'Anti-United States Forces Korea Withdrawal Association' at the auditorium of the National Assembly library. A statement issued by the group read that the Korean American alliance had been responsible for 50 years of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula. And said that the irrational anti-Americanism and the spread of sentiment calling for USFK withdrawal would no longer be looked upon with indifference.

Representative Kim who led the meeting said that not only the current Kim Dae-jung administration, but also the incoming Roh Moo-hyun administration had risky US and North Korean policies. He said that the group's members would carry out moves for the stabilization of Korea-America relations and the correction of currently twisted inter-Korean relations.

Group members met with US Ambassador Thomas Hubbard on Wednesday and will visit American bases in Korea. They said that they will also try to "take care of" the "anti-USFK withdrawal resolution" currently moored at the National Assembly's national defense committee and carry out a campaign for their objectives.

The leaders of the association are representatives Yang Jung-kyu, Chung Chang-hwa, Kim Yong-kap, Maeng Hyung-kyu, Jun Yong-won, Eom Ho-sung, with Representative Lee Won-chang as spokesperson.

The rest of the GNP representatives, some 20 belonging to "Towards the People" did not participate in today's ceremony.

(Ahn Yong-gon, agon@chosun.com )