JCP comments on election of South Korea's next president

On the election of Roh Moo Hyun as South Korea's next president, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on December 19 published the following statement:

Roh Moo Hyun of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party won the South Korean presidential election on December 19.

The recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the historic summit meeting between North and South Korea and the Japan-North Korea summit, show an increase in the current that promotes a peaceful negotiated solution of issues under dispute. Although there have been complications, we hope that the new government, which is committed to the further development of the Kim Dae Jung government's so-called "sunshine policy", will bring greater successes to the effort to achieve a peaceful reunification of North and South without outside interference and achieve peace in Asia.

In the election, the attitude toward the United States and the U.S. Forces in South Korea was a major issue. The major candidates called for the U.S.-South Korea status of forces agreement (SOFA) to be revised. The JCP will pay attention to the new South Korean government's diplomatic efforts in relation to the growing public demand for the defense of national sovereignty and an equal relationship between South Korea and the United States. (end)