By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter

The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) on Friday made a reluctant apology for its role in impeaching President Roh Moo-hyun, while arguing that the unprecedented motion to oust the head of state was made following due legal processes.

The conservative party said it respects the court’s decision to reinstate Roh and indicated a strong willingness to move on, with a focus on healing the country that has been split over the impeachment case.

``We are profoundly sorry to trouble the people with the impeachment issue,’’ GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye said during a news conference at the National Assembly. ``We humbly accept the Constitutional Court’s decision.’’

However, she said the process of the impeachment was legally justifiable. ``We have pointed out Roh’s violation of the Constitution a number of times and the National Assembly executed its constitutional right to impeach him.’’

Park’s remarks came after a hot debate among party leaders on the wording of her apology to the people.

Some suggested the party make a full-fledged apology but this was reportedly opposed by the old guard, which argued that the party has already been punished enough through the April elections and there was no constitutional problem in the impeachment.

Meanwhile, the tension finally eased for the Uri Party leaders, who were glued to a television set to watch the court ruling together. Chung Dong-young, chairman of the pro-government party, welcomed the acquittal, saying it gave the country a chance to officially reinstate democracy.

``The National Assembly’s coup on March 12 was a betrayal to the people, to history and to the democracy,’’ Chung said. ``But the Constitutional Court confirmed the true will of the people.’’

He also demanded apology from the three opposition parties, which joined forces two months ago to unseat the president. ``Even though I promised reconciliation with the opposition, it doesn’t start by neglecting their misbehavior.’’

High-ranking Uri Party officials said the political parties can search for mutually prosperous politics only when opposition parties truly repent for the impeachment motion, which triggered a 63-day-long suspension of Roh’s presidency.

The left-leaning Democratic Labor Party (DLP) said it is ``only right’’ for the president to come back to office. But its leader Kwon Young-ghil said Roh and the GNP should both apologize since the two used the impeachment case for their political purposes.

``The GNP, which brought serious disorder to the state affairs by triggering the impeachment, and President Roh, who tried to link the impeachment with the April general elections, both should apologize to the people,’’ Kwon told reporters.

im@koreatimes.co.kr