Roh No More?

In December 2002, South Korean president Roh Mu Hyun was narrowly elected on the Millenium Democratic Party (MDP)--the newly unified then-opposition party—ticket during a wave of progressive, nationalistic sentiment. Since taking office, however, he has been dogged by economic hardship, security concerns, and corruption scandals. The MDP formally split in September 2003, leaving the president’s new party with only forty-seven of the 273 seats in the legislature. On March 12, the South Korean National Assembly voted to impeach President Roh, citing his violation of election laws. Under the South Korean constitution, this means that President Roh is no longer permitted to perform the tasks of state, which leaves Prime Minister Goh Kun, an established politician who has held important posts in six successive administrations, in charge. How will the president’s impeachment affect the National Assembly elections scheduled for April 15? What are the legal, political, and security implications of this development? How will it affect business and investment in South Korea? Please join us as we explore these and other questions at this panel discussion on the implications of President Roh's impeachment.

About the Author

 

Nicholas
Eberstadt
  • Nicholas Eberstadt, a political economist and a demographer by training, is also a senior adviser to the National Board of Asian Research, a member of the visiting committee at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a member of the Global Leadership Council at the World Economic Forum. He researches and writes extensively on economic development, foreign aid, global health, demographics, and poverty. He is the author of numerous monographs and articles on North and South Korea, East Asia, and countries of the former Soviet Union. His books range from The End of North Korea (AEI Press, 1999) to The Poverty of the Poverty Rate (AEI Press, 2008).

     

  • Phone: 202-862-5825
    Email: eberstadt@aei.org
  • Assistant Info

    Name: Kelly Matush
    Phone: 202-862-5835
    Email: kelly.matush@aei.org
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