South Korea must contain damage of President Roh's impeachment

Lakhvinder Singh, The Korea Herald, Asia News Network, Seoul

Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has been impeached by the opposition parties, eclipsing all fundamental norms of democratic and civilized behavior.

Never before in the history of independent Korea have political parties behaved so recklessly to destroy the very of foundation of its democratic society. It was an abuse of political power of the highest order.

Korean politicians, blinded by their lust for power, their greed and narrow selfish interests, often forget their actions can destroy the very basic foundations of the country on which the Korean economic miracle has been built for the last 40 years. This shameful manipulation of the democratic process should be condemned by all.

Now that the politicians have done their worst, the question arises as to what must be done to contain the crisis and solve the problem as peacefully as possible.

First and foremost, the Constitutional Court, which will have the last word, must rise to the occasion and take the case on a priority basis. Even though it has 180 days to act, it should begin the impeachment process as soon as possible.

While deliberating on the matter, the court should take into consideration only the legal merits of the case. Honorable judges should not give any consideration to the political aspects of this extraordinary situation.

They must consider the matter in a free and fair manner and deliver their judgment as soon as possible. The longer it takes, the more the case is likely to be politicized, and the more it will hurt Korea's economic and political interests.

Outraged by the uncivilized behavior of opposition politicians, Korean people are expressing their anger nationwide, through activities such as mass rallies, all over the country. However, these rallies are now getting so big that they have started threatening the peace and stability of the country.

Thus it would be in Korea's best interest if such large-scale rallies were to cease. People need not organize mass rallies in support of their president, as things can get out of control and violence might ensue. Rallies can also politicize the issue and thus make things even more complicated for the government.

People are certainly right to continue their protest against this outrage of democracy at smaller or individual levels but, instead of mass rallies at the city center, small street corner protests could be organized.

What is at stake is the high-standing reputation of Korea as a democratic society governed by law. Korea is a role model in Asia and many Asian countries look up to Korea for their economic and political development.

If democracy is violated in such an admired and esteemed country, then people all over Asia will be disillusioned. Korea must stand united against this abuse of democracy and remember that it is not just fighting for itself, but also symbolically for a rich, prosperous and democratic way of life for all Asians.

The struggle for justice and democracy must continue. But, for the sake of economic stability, people must lead it in a more peaceful and organized way. If things go wrong and violence erupts, then it will be the common Koreans who will suffer and not the corrupt politicians who have brought these unnecessary hardships onto the people. Individuals have a great responsibility in this time of crisis, they must keep their cool and not let their emotions get out of control.

Political parties can also play an impotent role in solving the crisis. They must not try to take political advantage from the current instability or do anything which might provoke mass unrest in the country.

Political leaders should express their views with utmost care, as general elections are coming in April. Naturally, politicians will want to use this crisis for their political advantage in the elections. But this must be avoided as it can only hurt Korean society in the log run. By dividing into pro- and anti-Roh camps, all other important issues facing the nation may be suppressed.

This can destroy healthy political debate and turn the issues into black and white. Korea may have to pay a very heavy price if it fails to protect its core interests at this time of crisis.

So far, the Korean intellectual community has been looking at the crisis from the sidelines. Not being sure what to do, it has been playing the role of silent spectator, but it should be informing the politicians and the general public of what is at stake as it has a special role to play in this crisis. Academics should lead the people when politicians have failed to do so.

The foreign community in Korea also has an important role to play. It should try to understand the crisis and not press any panic buttons, remaining calm and having faith in the Korean people's ability to solve this problem in order to maintain business confidence.

If rumors of uncertainty and instability here were to spread internationally, billions of dollars could fly out of Korea in a matter of days, severely hurting its economic prospects and possibly triggering another economic crisis.

Korea has given so much to us. Now the time has come to pay this back by keeping faith in the Korean people's ability to solve their problems and to keep conquering more and greater heights in all aspects of life.

The writer is a research fellow at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul.