The Parliament of the Republic of Korea (ROK) voted to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun on illegal electioneering and incompetence charges Friday following hours of scuffles and dramatic protests.  

Roh's presidential powers will be suspended while the matter is referred to the Constitutional Court for final approval to unseat the leader. The court has 180 days to rule.

The impeachment passed by a vote of 193 to 2, well above the 181 votes needed for the measure. Many pro-Roh lawmakers had been forcibly removed from the chamber by Assembly security and were unable to vote.

A shoving match was sparked earlier when pro-Roh Uri Party members tried to stop Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong from taking the podium, the only place he can call a vote.

Assembly security officers then moved in to begin removing lawmakers trying to block his progress. Park had warned Thursday that he might exercise his right to have security officials clear the lawmakers.

Live television footage showed security officers dragging out screaming Uri members one by one.

As the voting proceeded by secret ballot, opposition members applauded and screaming Roh backers chanted that it was a "coup." Other Uri Party members broke into tears and sang the national anthem.

Speaker Park admonished them, saying "You asked for it."

Lawmakers loyal to Roh had planned to stall for time in the hope that the ouster motion would automatically expire on Friday evening.

As the clock ticked for opposition members to call a vote, rival factions cursed and shoved as they fought for the parliamentary speaker's podium.

Dozens of pro-Roh Uri Party members had camped out around the podium overnight after ROK's two main opposition parties first tried to call a vote on Thursday but were blocked.

A 20-minute scuffle erupted earlier Friday when about 20 opposition legislators stormed the National Assembly hall to try to remove their rivals, who were sleeping around the dais, according to Assembly officials and footage broadcast on local television stations.

Later about 200 Roh supporters briefly exchanged punches with riot police who blocked them from marching on the National Assembly building. They chanted, "Let's block impeachment!"

President Roh later apologized for the chaos and urged calm.

"Regardless of which side is wrong, I offer my sincere apology for the situation in which the political confrontation has lead to an impeachment move against me," Roh said in a statement read by his senior public relations secretary, Lee Byong-wan. "I strongly urge all sides to regain self-control."

The Grand National Party rejected Roh's overture, saying in a statement that it was "not a true apology and he didn't admit his wrongdoing." The Millennium Democratic Party concurred: "The arrow has already left the bow."

Earlier Friday, a man attempted to drive his car up the steep steps into the Assembly hall in protest. When the car stalled, the man got out and set the car on fire, said police Sgt. Lee Sun-kyun.

"I will kill them all!" the man shouted as Assembly guards overpowered him.

On Thursday, a Roh supporter set himself on fire outside parliament, shouting "Let's block impeachment!"

The embattled leader has yet to apologize for the flash point of the impeachment attempt: accusations that he broke election laws by stumping for the Uri Party in the upcoming April 15 parliamentary campaign.

Roh does not belong to a party, but has said he wants to join Uri.

The National Elections Commission ruled last week that Roh had engaged in illegal electioneering, but that the infraction was minor, not warranting criminal charges.

Opposition lawmakers also charge Roh with incompetence at a time the country is trying to balance tensions over North Korea's nuclear programs with a fragile economic recovery.

Roh's powers are immediately suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on the parliamentary vote -- a process that could take up to six months, thus thrusting the country into political uncertainty. Under the constitution, Prime Minister Goh Kun will run the country in the interim.

There was no immediate comment from the presidential Blue House.

Roh's profile

Birth: Born in 1946 in Kimhae, South Kyongsang Province.

Education: Graduated from Pusan Vocational High School in 1966.

Career Highlights:

• February 2003: Sworn in as President of the Republic of Korea for a five-year term of office.
• December 2002: Elected President of the Republic of Korea in the 16th Presidential election.
• 2001: Advisor and Senior Member of the Central Committee, the Millennium Democratic Party.
• August 2000 - March 2001: Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
• 1998: Elected to the 15th National Assembly in a by-election in Seoul's Jongno District as a candidate of the National Congress for New Politics (NCNP).
• 1997: Vice President of NCNP.
• 1996: Standing Committee Member, the Committee for the Promotion of National Reconciliation and Unity.
• 1993: Director of the Research Centre for Local Autonomy.
• 1993: Senior Member of the Central Committee of the United Democratic Party.
• 1991: Spokesman for the United Democratic Party.
• 1988: Member, the Special Committee to Investigate Political Corruption during the Fifth Republic.
• 1988: Elected to the 13th National Assembly in Busan's Eastern District.
• 1987: Chairman and Director of the Busan Headquarters of the Citizens' Movement for a Democratic Constitution (also served as one of the leaders of the June Democratization Struggles of 1987).
• 1981: Began career as a human rights lawyer after defending a student involved in the "Burim Incident" in Busan.
• 1978: Practicing attorney.
• 1977: Judge at the Daejeon District Court.
• 1975: Passed the 17th National Bar Examination.

(China Daily March 12, 2004)