By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The governing and opposition parties expressed hope for a strengthened alliance with the United States Wednesday as new U.S. President Barack Obama took oath of office.
However, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also expressed concern over possible discord in North Korea policy between Obama and President Lee Myung-bak.
Lee has maintained a tough stance toward the secretive state, while the new U.S. leader stressed that he is willing to have dialogue with Pyongyang to resolve pending issues.
``As long as President Obama said to solve North Korea-related problems through talks, the South Korean government may have no place to stand with the current attitude,'' DP spokeswoman Kim Yoo-jung said.
She urged Lee to change his stance on the North.
Inter-Korean relations turned sour after Lee took office last February with a vow to toughen Seoul's stance toward Pyongyang.
On the other hand, the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) said it expects the first African American president's oath-taking to help speed up the ratification of a free trade deal between the two countries.
``It is expected that the inauguration of the Obama administration would prepare a cornerstone for the strategic alliance between South Korea and the United States,'' spokesman Yoon Sang-hyun said.
``The governments and parliaments of the two countries have to make an effort to approve the free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) promptly,'' he said.
Obama, a former Democrat senator, supports free trade that benefits his nation but has strongly lashed at the KORUS FTA, claiming that the deal does not adequately stipulate an imbalance in auto trade.
The Lee administration and the ruling party have sought a prompt approval of the motion, saying it is a necessary step to reinvigorate the economy.
GNP members belonging to the Assembly's committee on foreign affairs and unification unilaterally introduced the motion and advanced it to a legislative review subcommittee without opposition lawmakers last month, which caused violent clashes.
DP and other minor opposition groups insisted that the government presents protection measures, prior to the passage, for farmers and small- and medium-sized companies expected to see losses due to increasing U.S. imports.
The motion has yet to gain ratification from both U.S. and South Korean legislatures.
As for the North Korea nuclear issue, the conservative GNP reiterated that the nuclear weapons program should be abandoned in a completely verifiable way.