SOUTH KOREA'S ROH SAYS HE, OPPONENT ARE LIKE CAT AND DOG
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:58 am
S.Korea's Roh Says He, Opponent Are Like Cat and Dog
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is making light of a political showdown with the hunger-striking opposition leader, saying they are like a cat and a dog destined to fight because they misread each other's body language.
Choe Byung-yol, head of the Grand National Party, began an indefinite fast Wednesday to urge Roh to lift his veto of a bill to name a special counsel to probe a political funding scandal.
Roh has shown no sign of changing his mind. He says the state prosecution is already investigating some of his aides as well as opposition parties and affiliates of some business conglomerates.
"Do you know why dogs and cats always fight each other?" Roh asked cabinet members Tuesday. The presidential Blue House confirmed the comments after Seoul newspapers ran stories of the comparison.
"Dogs wag their tails when they are happy but on the contrary cats swish their tails when they are ready to fight," Roh said.
"When dogs and cats see each other the dog raises its tail because it is happy to see the cat but the cat regards it as an invitation to fight."
Because dogs and cats thought differently they were bound to fight, Roh said. He did not say who was the dog and who was the cat in this metaphor -- but Roh was born in the Year of the Dog while Choe was born in the Year of the Tiger.
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is making light of a political showdown with the hunger-striking opposition leader, saying they are like a cat and a dog destined to fight because they misread each other's body language.
Choe Byung-yol, head of the Grand National Party, began an indefinite fast Wednesday to urge Roh to lift his veto of a bill to name a special counsel to probe a political funding scandal.
Roh has shown no sign of changing his mind. He says the state prosecution is already investigating some of his aides as well as opposition parties and affiliates of some business conglomerates.
"Do you know why dogs and cats always fight each other?" Roh asked cabinet members Tuesday. The presidential Blue House confirmed the comments after Seoul newspapers ran stories of the comparison.
"Dogs wag their tails when they are happy but on the contrary cats swish their tails when they are ready to fight," Roh said.
"When dogs and cats see each other the dog raises its tail because it is happy to see the cat but the cat regards it as an invitation to fight."
Because dogs and cats thought differently they were bound to fight, Roh said. He did not say who was the dog and who was the cat in this metaphor -- but Roh was born in the Year of the Dog while Choe was born in the Year of the Tiger.