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.

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