South Korea: Lunch at the Blue House

SOUTH KOREA LUNCH AT THE BLUE HOUSE Chun ends a crackdown and talks reform with his opponents TWO WEEKS AGO, SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT CHUN DOO HWAN DID SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY LAST WEEK: HE INVITED TOP OPPOSITION LEADERS TO JOIN HIM FOR LUNCH AT THE BLUE HOUSE, THE PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE IN SEOUL, IN AN EFFORT TO "SHIFT FROM CONFRONTATION TO DIALOGUE." AS A SIGN OF GOOD FAITH, THE EX-GENERAL RELEASED THE 270 OPPOSITION

MEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST, INCLUDING KIM Dae Jung, South Korea's most prominent dissident. At the luncheon meeting, Chun even acknowledged the "excessive measures" of the police.