Roh considers a referendum on remaining in office

Facing widespread discontent, President Roh Moo-hyun said yesterday that he was considering a national referendum on whether he should resign, and rejected an offer from his Cabinet and presidential aides to quit.

But Roh, who has a hostile relationship with the opposition-controlled National Assembly, acknowledged it was unclear whether a referendum was legal. The confusion raised the possibility of months of political wrangling at a time when South Korea is trying to revive its faltering economy and stop North Korea's development of nuclear weapons through peaceful dialogue.

"If a president is sacrificed in the middle of his term and if that serves to straighten out South Korean politics, I think that is a bigger stride forward for the development of South Korean politics than a case in which the president simply completes his five-year term," Roh said at a news conference.

The leadership crisis followed months of increasingly virulent criticism of Roh, whose blunt style and perceived inconsistency on major policy issues have alienated many South Koreans. Corruption scandals involving presidential aides have also drained his approval ratings.

Roh's rejection of resignation offers from the Cabinet eased chaos in the short term, but the months ahead are likely to be difficult. Roh, a former human rights lawyer who took office in February, suggested the law could be altered to allow for a referendum to assess the public's confidence in him.

"I think the law on a referendum could be changed," he said. A debate on a law change, or a constitutional amendment, would likely be a lengthy, divisive process.

The opposition Grand National Party, which controls the National Assembly, said Roh's behavior was baffling.

"President Roh should clearly propose how and when he is going to ask the people about their confidence in him before the confusion amplifies," the party said in a statement.

The political upheaval began Friday, when Roh said he wanted a "pardon" from the people to restore moral strength in his 8-month-old government, which is besieged by hostile legislators and unfriendly news media.

Roh had said he was unsure about a referendum because it could hurt national security amid tension over North Korea's nuclear development.

Roh's initiative was a risky political gamble aimed at winning a fresh mandate for his increasingly unpopular government. The opposition Grand National Party, which controls a majority at the National Assembly, demanded a national referendum.

Prosecutors are investigating an allegation that Choi Do-sool, a longtime Roh aide, received 1.1 billion won (US$956,000) from SK Group, South Korea's third-largest conglomerate, shortly after Roh won December's presidential election.

SK, an oil and mobile phone giant, is also accused of giving 10 billion won (US$8.7 million) to the GNP. The opposition party denies the charge.