President Roh Hints at Quitting

“May I have a word?” asked President Roh Moo-hyun with a resolute face at a speech on Tuesday at the Cabinet Room in Cheong Wa Dae.

“It is clearly illegitimate to boycott and block votes at the National Assembly. I withdrew my nomination for the head of the Constitutional Court. In fact, I had no choice but to yield to the pressure,” President Roh said.

President Roh implied the possibility of giving up his party affiliation, as well as resigning. “The only political assets that I have as a head of state are party affiliation and the presidency,” Roh added.

"If I am forced to quit, I may become the fourth head of state who abandons a party affiliation during a presidential tenure. This would be a very unfortunate thing to do, but I cannot rule out the possibility of cutting ties with (the governing Uri Party),” President Roh said.

“However, I believe that there are times when I have to compromise or yield to pressure in order for me to smoothly carry out my duties. I hope I do not become the first president who resigns before my tenure expires,” Roh added.

President Roh used the expression, “yield to pressure” four times during the speech. It is not difficult to imagine how disgraceful President Roh, who is widely known to abhor the idea of submission, might have felt about this.

“The media is childish that they put legal or impartial reasoning aside and, instead, provoke conflicts between politicians,” President Roh was quoted as saying in the Cheong Wa Dae briefing.

“I could not tell Jeon Hyo-suk, nominee for the Constitutional Court chief, who is not used to this illogical political dispute, to continue to endure humiliation,” President Roh said.

However, Roh’s speech on this day seems to have been thoroughly prepared beforehand. For instance, President Roh emphasized actual figures when he said, “The fourth head of state who abandons party affiliation during the tenure,” and “The first president who resigns before his tenure expires.”

Political circles seem to be quite stirred by his speech. Experts say that President Roh, who proposed shortening his tenure in return for a "grand alliance" last year, is now more likely to push for a “grand alliance” now than before.

“I heard that presidential aides are concerned about President Roh as he frequently says he wants to step down these days,” a pro-Roh lawmaker said. “Considering his character, President Roh may believe that he has become a ‘vegetable president’ if his personnel decisions, the biggest authority as a head of state, are interfered with,” an Uri Party official said.

Analysts believe President Roh’s speech is more aimed at the ruling Uri Party rather than the opposition parties. Uri Party chairman Kim Geun-tae told Roh on Saturday to decide whether Cheong Wa Dae will stick to the Uri Party or become a neutral cabinet by December 9. In response, Roh said Sunday that he will hold a political consultation meeting between Cheong Wa Dae and political parties.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) was indifferent to Roh’s speech. GNP lawmakers believe that President Roh’s leaving the Uri Party and resignation are inevitable after he had to withdraw his naming of Jeon to the Constitutional Court.

“President Roh has more strong desire for political control than anyone else, and he is good at playing games and drawing up unexpected ideas. Although he has alluded to abandoning his party affiliation and resigning several times, he has not given up anything yet. President Roh’s strategy is hinting at his surrender so as to sway his opponents and make a situation favorable for him,” an Uri Party official said.

jyw11@donga.com