[EDITORIALS]Let’s accept court’s decision

Today is a historic day. Today, the Constitutional Court makes a decision on the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun. How the court rules on the case will determine the nation’s future, but what is as important as the ruling itself is how the public accepts it.
We are now at a crucial moment. Not only politics but all other areas, including the economy, diplomacy and security, are not safe. In such a situation, we have no room to waste our energy on unnecessary incidents. This is why it is important for the public to accept the court ruling, whatever it is. We don’t have time to become divided and fight with each other over the ruling.
The court’s decision should become a platform for us to advance further, something to push us all to exert ourselves for the advancement of the nation and put an end to the conflict and confusion that has troubled the nation so far. The way to achieve this is to submit to the court’s ruling.
The National Assembly passed the impeachment bill against Mr. Roh two months ago according to the rights the Constitution bestowed upon it. The court today exercises its due rights according to the Constitution as well.
The public may have opinions that differ from today’s court ruling. But civil disobedience should not take place. Such acts would mean the start of a new conflict, and that would subvert the law of the nation.
If the legitimacy of the law collapses, then democracy will crumble down along with it. But the fact that we have waited peacefully for the court’s ruling so far means that our tradition of legalism has already matured.
There is one more thing that needs to be taken into consideration. Those who are directly involved with the case, including Mr. Roh, will have strong sentiments about today’s ruling, but they should not view the outcome as a win or a loss.
No matter what decision is made by the court, what matters most is that these political figures humbly examine their actions that have led to this series of events.
If they proclaim, “I won, I was right,” after the ruling, that would be a shame. The court ruling should, for Mr. Roh and the ruling and opposition parties, be a chance to reflect on themselves instead.