By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The leader of the ruling party on Tuesday expressed his support for appointing former President Kim Dae-jung as a special envoy to North Korea in order to seek a solution to the ongoing standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programs.

During a forum for journalists held at the Korea Press Center, Uri Party chairman Lee Bu-young said his party is considering a plan to send special peace envoys to North Korea and the four major powers surrounding the Korean peninsula in an effort to find a breakthrough in the two-year-long nuclear deadlock.

``The former president has expressed his willingness to contribute to maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula, worrying over the possible uncertainty that might unfold after the U.S. presidential election next month,’’ Lee said. He added that he would ``fully welcome it if Kim intends to assume the role of peace envoy to the North.’’ Lee plans to visit Kim today to discuss and seek advice on various pending issues, as well as for more practical support.

``I will discuss the idea of dispatching special envoys to the nations concerned, including the United States, Japan, Russia and China, with President Roh Moo-hyun when he returns home from Vietnam,’’ Lee continued. ``According to the result of the peace envoys’ visits, our party will positively pursue a second inter-Korean summit meeting.’’

The 63-year-old also emphasized that close consultation between the two Koreas is essential to peacefully resolve the North nuclear issue based on the solid Korea-U.S military alliance, calling for the resumption of the stalled six-way talks.

Asked about the role of opposition leader Park Geun-hye as a special envoy, Lee was less clear. On one hand, he expressed his support for it, stressing that ``peace on the peninsula is a bipartisan issue.’’ But on the other, Lee urged Park, the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, to make more of an effort to end the old legacies still haunting the country, referring to the conservative party’s opposition to scrapping the controversial National Security Law.

As for economic issues, the Uri Party leader also unveiled a plan to stimulate domestic consumption and employment.

Lee said the ruling party is closely working with relevant ministries to implement a ``Korean version of America’s New Deal Policy,’’ planning a package of large-scale state projects to lift the country’s economy out of the doldrums.

``The Ministry of Finance and Economy is soon to disclose comprehensive measures to create jobs for the middle class and reduce the number of credit delinquents,’’ he added. ``The package of measures are expected to increase the income level, leading to robust domestic consumption, as well as induce large companies to invest in the related the small- and medium-sized enterprises to boost production.’’

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr