On-line and on the street, S.Koreans rue Roh crisis (Agencies) Updated: 2004-03-12 16:24
South Koreans expressed grave concern over the
fate of their country and Asia's fourth-biggest economy Friday following
parliament's unprecedented vote to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun.
Lawmakers and security personnel protect
the speaker as he reads the result of the vote.
[AP]
On the streets of Seoul and on Internet chat sites, Roh's ouster sparked the
same polarizing debate that the 57-year-old former labor lawyer inspired during
his brief year in office.
"This should not have gone as far as impeachment, if the lawmakers had
thought more of South Korea and its economy," said Kim Hyun-gi, 32, an
office worker in Seoul.
"I think both the ruling and opposition parties bear responsibility for the
impeachment. Both parties engaged in extreme confrontation without any talks,"
he said.
"I am speechless that such trifling words put South Korea's fate in such
danger," sighed Park Jin-young, 40, an official at a financial company. "There
was never an impeachment even during past military regimes when presidents
committed greater wrongdoing."
Jay Koo, 31, a consultant at a foreign firm, said: "It looks like the two
opposition parties, who have suffered falling popularity and support with
general elections one month away, used the impeachment as one of their election
strategies."
South Korea holds a National Assembly election on April 15, and Roh's
downfall was triggered by remarks the National Election Commission ruled had
violated laws prohibiting partisan speech prior to the campaign period.
Some South Koreans, however, said Roh had brought his troubles upon himself.
"President Roh deserved to be impeached," said Won Tai-joon, 27, a college
student. "He has not cooperated with the National Assembly and he made all
decisions by himself."
Web chat sites in the world's most wired country buzzed with debate over the
impeachment vote. Internet-based support groups of "netizens" played a big role
in helping the relatively unknown Roh win election in December 2002.
"I don't think this is bad," wrote one commenter on a newspaper bulletin
board. "If Roh had followed public opinion and apologized early, this kind of
thing would not have happened."
But an unhappy Roh supporter wrote he would go into mourning until a court
rules on the impeachment, a process that could take as long as six months.
"Until the Constitutional Court rules on the vote, I will wear a black ribbon
to show my anger," wrote the supporter.
