SEOUL March 24 Kyodo toward the ...

SEOUL March 24 Kyodo

toward the south Korea's impeached President Roh Moo Hyun will not appear before the first court hearing forward his impeachment status next Tuesday, Roh's top defense lawyer said Wednesday.

secondary planet Jae In, the head of Roh's defense team, told reporters Roh has accepted his lawyers' advice not to accept the court's ask for to attend the hearing, which is not legally leap to do.

''We eagerly advised the president not to attend the court hearing because he may become engaged in unwanted political bickering in the court,'' lunation was quoted as saying by way of Yonhap News Agency.

toward the south Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly passed the first-ever presidential impeachment against Roh forward March 12, stripping him of his presidential powers for up to six month until the Constitutional Court countenances the impeachment measure or subverts it.

Prime Minister Goh Kun has taken through the whole extent of as acting president until the nine-member Constitutional Court delivers its final ruling in succession the historic case.

Roh was accused of allegedly making remarks in favor of the Uri Party (Our Party) formed from lawmakers loyal to him, ahead of the April 15 parliamentary elections.

If Roh is absent at the first hearing, the court will be compell to station another date for his port and if he refuses to honor the other request, the court will proce in his absence.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group