Lawyers' Resolution Makes Impeachment Talk Official

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Lawyers' Resolution Makes Impeachment Talk Official

Partisanship was in full bloom Wednesday as Lee Jae-oh, the opposition Grand National Party's floor leader, officially suggested discussing impeachment for President Kim Dae-jung. The ruling Millennium Democratic Party shot back, saying the remark was not in line with the spirit of the constitution.

The bitter exchange follows the adoption Tuesday of a resolution by the Korean Bar Association blaming the president for the country's "regression in the rule of law."

Mr. Lee said President Kim should present a blueprint for resolving what he called the three major failures of his administration before the regular session of the National Assembly convenes in September, and said impeachment should be considered if the president does not apologize for his policy failures.

The three failures Mr. Lee referred to are the nation's rising debt and unemployment, heightened tension between sectors of South Korean society over North-South relations and oppressing the media under the guise of a tax audit.

Hahn Hwa-kap and Kim Keun-tae, two senior ruling party members, said the opposition floor leader's statement only demonstrates his "lack of knowledge of democratic principles."

Lee Hoi-chang, the opposition leader, agreed, saying, "While it is true that the direction the nation is headed raises concerns, it is too early to discuss impeaching the president."

The Seoul branch of the Korean Bar Association voiced support for the association's leadership, saying Tuesday's resolution was not an argument against reform but a statement on the principles that should form the basis of reform. The Seoul branch, with 3,000 members, is the largest branch of the Bar Association. The Constitutional Law Advocates, another group of lawyers, also said it supports the resolution.

Lawyers for a Democratic Society, which describes itself as a group of progressive lawyers, said that the resolution did not reflect the opinion of the entire legal community.



by Lee Sang-il

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