South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was stripped of his constitutional powers in an unprecedented impeachment vote yesterday that rattled an embattled government already struggling to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis and reboot a struggling economic recovery.
The vote came after hours of scuffles and protests that included one Roh supporter setting himself on fire and another man trying to drive his car up the parliament steps and into the building.
After the decision, South Korea's main stock index tumbled 5 percent, and the nation's military and police forces were set on heightened vigilance. Among Roh's suspended duties was his role as commander in chief.
The pro-Roh Uri Party, which had tried to physically block the vote by commandeering the National Assembly podium from which votes are called, announced that its 47 lawmakers would resign en masse to protest.
The vote marked a spectacular setback for the 57-year-old, self-made human rights lawyer who came to office last February on a populist ticket that promised South Koreans better relations with the North and a more equal footing with the country's biggest ally, the US.
His 13-month tenure was dogged by corruption scandals. But yesterday's vote was a crowning embarrassment for the feisty, independent leader. It was the first time South Korea's parliament has impeached a president.
The matter now goes to the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to approve or reject Roh's ouster.
In a three-line statement issued by Roh's presidential office, the administration said it would subject itself to "the judgment of history and the people" and hoped that the Constitutional Court "will make a quick decision to minimize confusion in state affairs."
Chief Justice Yoon Young-chul could not say when hearings would begin. But he called the impeachment "a matter of grave consequence" and pledged to handle it "in a speedy and precise manner."
Prime Minister Goh Kun, who formally assumed Roh's duties yesterday, instructed the Defense Ministry to heighten its military vigilance along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
Tensions are running high amid the deepening international standoff over the North's nuclear weapons development, but the ministry said yesterday it detected no unusual North Korean military movements.
"The people feel unease because the impeachment bill was passed at a time that the economy faces difficulties," Goh said. "The Cabinet and all government officials must do all they can to stabilize the people's lives and ensure that the country's international credibility will not be damaged."
Goh also issued a statement saying it was "deplorable that this kind of incident has happened" and that he "cannot but feel sorry to the nation that the situation has reached the point it has."
The opposition Grand National and Millennium Democratic parties cited three main reasons for the impeachment: Roh's violation of election laws, corruption scandals surrounding former aides and his alleged mismanagement of the economy.
Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hun-jai tried to reassure: "This crisis doesn't mean there is a problem with our economy. We have so far established an economic system that is resistant toward political upheavals."
Roh has yet to apologize for the flash point of the impeachment attempt: accusations that he broke election laws by stumping for the Uri Party in the April 15 parliamentary campaign.
Roh does not belong to the Uri party, but has said he wants to join. The National Elections Commission ruled last week that Roh had engaged in illegal electioneering, but that the infraction was minor, not warranting criminal charges.
Political analysts said policy may now take a back seat to politics in next month's election.
"I worry the nation may split into pro-impeachment and anti-impeachment factions," said Lee Jung-hee, a politics professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.
"Dreams of a policy competition may be washed away," he said.
Even before the impeachment, Roh's credibility had been undermined by corruption scandals within his administration. Last December, three former Roh aides were indicted on charges of collecting illicit funds from Samsung, LG and other big businesses for the December 2002 presidential campaign.
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