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Cardinal Stephen Kim Su-hwan on Wednesday politely declined to endorse any particular candidate for the opposition Grand National Party for the next presidential election. Instead, during a courtesy call from the new GNP chairman Kang Jae-sup, the cardinal warned it is more important that the country is run well than who becomes the next president. "I hope that you do your job well so the public can trust that the GNP is a party they can rely on,¡± GNP spokesman Yoo Ki-june quoted Kim as saying.
Cardinal Kim reportedly expressed particular concern that the GNP will repeat the mistakes of its past, with a range of candidates from its ranks vying for the presidency and choking each other out of the running. "Cardinal Kim's remarks can be seen as advice rather than support for a particular political party,¡± the spokesman said. ¡°They remind us that the GNP failed to come to power as its candidates refused to accept the results of primaries before presidential elections. GNP candidates need to bear in mind that it is more important that their party takes power than that their own ambition to become president is fulfilled.¡±
Kim also commented on recent controversy surrounding Seoul¡¯s attempts to distance itself from long-term ally the U.S. "While the days are numbered before President Roh Moo-hyun steps down, I am deeply concerned about Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok when I see what he does and says, and also about the ROK-U.S. relationship. Can we hope for a better future or achieve unification without the help of the U.S.? Of course we could, but from a realistic point of view it is almost impossible,¡± Yoo quoted the cardinal as saying.
Kim begged to differ over Roh¡¯s vocal defense of the unification minister¡¯s recent broadside at the U.S. "We can criticize the U.S., but it does not serve our national interest,¡± Kim was quoted as saying. "Making such remarks as his term nears end may boost his popularity, but the problem is whether they are in our national interest.¡± The minister over the weekend told a TV interviewer the U.S. North Korea policy ¡°failed the most¡± when the North launched its missiles on July 5, drawing condemnation from both sides of the National Assembly.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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