“More Dissension Expected even with the President’s Apology”

The opposition party harshly criticized Presidential Committee on Government Innovation and Decentralization Commissioner Kim Byung-jun’s remarks made on March 10 comparing the current political deadlock over the impeachment to a typical case of a family.

Commissioner Kim, in a gathering with Korean correspondents in Tokyo, Japan, said, “An apology is most unlikely to be made for any apology from President Roh Moo-hyun, no matter how articulately done, will not be enough to satisfy the political circle.” He commented about the impeachment proposal that “it is like nagging the head of the family with the most irrelevant subject while he has other pressing duties including paying off the credit card debt, clearing the snow off the front lawn, and putting the kids through college.” He added, “Repressive measures can be employed as it was done in the past, but this time, honoring the principles seems to be in order.” Also, he asserted, “Even if the president apologizes in an effort to put an end to the situation, the opposition will make trouble with the manner of the apology or come up with other ways to frustrate the president, and there will be nothing that can be done thereafter.” Commissioner Kim said, “Either Cheong Wa Dae or the opposition is working with a miscalculation,” and that “it will be made clear through the General Election on April who played the right card.”

Won-Jae Park parkwj@donga.com