President Roh says JCP will be welcome to visit South Korea
At the June 9 reception given by the Upper House President and the Lower House Speaker in honor of visiting President Roh Moo-hyun and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo had a brief conversation with President Roh.
Akahata of June 11 reported the details of the conversation as follows:
Commenting on the speech President Roh delivered in the Japanese Diet on June 9, Shii said, "I was impressed by your speech in which you repeatedly referred to the 'policy of peace and prosperity', the position of promoting 'participatory government', as well as peace and stability in the whole of Northeast Asia. I hope that exchanges be developed between the JCP and South Korea. I wish you great success."
President Roh said, "I think that South Korea will be a full-fledged democracy when it admits communist parties. You will be welcome to visit South Korea. I would not avoid or refuse your visits."
Shii replied, "I would hope that such an opportunity will come."
According to reports from Seoul on June 10, a Cheong Wa Dae Blue House (Office of the President) spokesperson explained President Roh's reference to the communist party during conversation with JCP Chair Shii, saying, "The president was referring to communist parties operating within the legal framework in an institutional political arena like in Western Europe and Japan." (end)
