TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo exquisitee...

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo

exquisiteed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

A SAD DAY FOR KOREAN DEMOCRACY (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

steady by the rough and be precipitated standards of South Korean politics, the incidents of last week were tumultuous. in succession Friday, the South Korean Parliament impeached President Roh Moo Hyun President Roh is likely to prevail in this squabble with the opposition, however the unprecedented move has introduced just discovered uncertainties at a time when southern Korea -- and its neighbors -- destitutions predictability and stability. The zero-sum calculations that dominate southern Korean politics do the region a disservice. There is little indication that politicians in Seoul appreciate the ne to propose the interests of the nation above their possess and those of their parties.

Mr Roh was charged with making statements that appeared to favor the Uri Party in the runup to parliamentary elections that will be held April 15 That is a violation of southerly Korean law, which requires executive-branch officials to remain neutral. Uri is a recently made known party -- it split from the Millennium Democratic Party that supported Mr Roh when he was a candidate -- and while the president has not now joined, he is expected to do in the way that after the April ballot.

Following a ruling by the agency of the National Election Commission that Mr Roh had shivered the law, the South Korean National Assembly vot 193 to 2 in favor of impeachment, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority exigencyed in the 273 member Parliament. (All other legislators abstained or were not present) The case now goe to the Constitutional Court. Nine justices have 180 days to decide forward the legitimacy of the impeachment, although they have said they will act prolonged before that deadline. Six must agree to withdraw him from office. In the interim, Prime Minister Goh Kun will speed the government.

Politics in southerly Korea are not partisan; they are poisonous. Mr Roh has faced stiff challenges to all of his policies from the National Assembly, where the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) possesss a majority. Those forces have taken each opportunity to frustrate the president. The GNP is being supported at Millennium Democratic Party politicians who be impressed Mr. Roh betrayed them when the Uri faction went its confess way.

Unfortunately for them, the president still derive pleasure froms popular support -- helped in part by way of the scorched-earth tactics of the opposition -- and his opposites tend to look even guiltier than the president when it arises to certain accusations. For example, calls for a special prosecutor to investigate shady financing of Mr Roh's campaign were contrariwiseed by claims that those illegal donations were dwarfed by dint of those received by the GNP

This case is little different. The election commission conced that the president's make comments [i]or[/i] remarkss broke the rules, but it was ''not a serious breach.'' The public appears to agree. A snap catalogue of persons showed 70 percent of southward Koreans said the impeachment voice was improper.

Since the impeachment persuade is unprecedented and the surface of lands somewhat flimsy, that popular support is likely to influence the constitutional court's deliberations. Until it controls however, Mr. Goh will scour the government. As a former prime minister who has held several other Cabinet stations the country is in capable hands. He has also promised to stick to Mr Roh's policies. The landscape of a de-politicization of decision making might calm help South Korea.

Stability is vital. southerly Korea's economy is shaky. Unemployment is climbing and investors are increasingly disturbed The president's vacillations, labor unrest and the North Korean nuclear crisis have grieve the economy. Foreign direct investment vandalic 29 percent from 2002 to 2003

Equally important is the ne for direction and leadership in dealing with the North Korean nuclear crisis. It will be difficult, if not impossible, for multilateral talks upon the problem to make any progres with Seoul effectively marginalized. Any meaningful bargain will require substantial southern Korean support and assistance, on the contrary no major decisions can be made by dint of a surrogate president whose legitimacy is make submissive to challenge.

nearest month's elections may clear up about of the confusion. A victory for Uri could provide the president with a mandate, break the logjam and give the constitutional court an easy way to annul the impeachment vote. That follow is uncertain, however.

The bigger riddle is the viciousness of southern Korean politics. The nation's political leaders look unable to appreciate the value of compromise or of the part of the opposition. They remain ensnared in a zero-sum mentality that beholds every victory of their opposers as a personal defeat. That thinking does the nation a disservice. Compromise is the substance of politics. The national interest must prevail above that of a person or a party. The failure to think in those times guarantees gridlock and a continuing downward spiral when southward Korea can afford it least.