LEAD) Ideological rift engulfs S. Korea after former president's suicide

((ATT: UPDATES with more statements in paras 6-9; MODIFIES lead; TRIMS)
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- A growing flood of petitions by South Korean academics
against the policies of the ruling Lee Myung-bak administration continued Tuesday
to deepen a rift between liberals and conservatives over the suicide of Lee's
immediate predecessor last month.

A statement issued by generally liberal professors from the state-run Seoul
National University on June 3 has spawned a series of campaigns by civic,
academic and religious groups slamming the Lee administration for clamping down
on civil liberties and launching a politically motivated corruption probe into
the late President Roh Moo-hyun.
Their conservative colleagues are defending the incumbent government and claiming
such attacks are causing a national rift.
Roh, president from 2003 to 2008, leapt to his death from a mountainside
precipice above his southeastern hometown on May 23, expressing emotional stress
over a months-long corruption investigation that engulfed both the former leader
and his relatives. He was 62.
Despite allegations his family received millions of dollars from a local
businessman, Roh's death led to an outpouring of grief by South Koreans
apparently eager to forgive the liberal human rights lawyer-turned-politician.
Recent polls show that the majority of South Koreans believe the probe into Roh
was unusually harsh.
More than 1,000 professors from 30 different universities nationwide added their
names to statements critical of the government in less than a week.
Professors at Pusan National University, Dongguk University, Ehwa Womans
University and Konkook University in Seoul released statements Tuesday as the
most recent among academic groups, calling on President Lee to offer a public
apology for suppressing democracy and demanding his key ministers step down.
"The Lee Myung-bak government is suppressing the people's right to assemble and
has harmed the independence of the media," said the statement signed by 114 Pusan
University professors.
The announcement comes as an increasing number of college professors argue that
the country's hard-won democracy wrenched from decades of military dictators has
retreated since Lee took office last February, with the government beefing up
police control of the central Seoul area to prevent protests.
Police said they will prohibit a planned gathering of civic groups outside
Seoul's City Hall Wednesday to prevent possible conflict and illegal activities.
Religious leaders also joined in the move Tuesday.
While some 108 members of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said "Democracy and
human rights are being increasingly suppressed under the incumbent government" in
a statement, 33 senior members of the Christian Council of Korea including Rev.
Cho Yong-ki called on the government for more efforts on "resolving public anger"
over Roh's death.
Meanwhile, right-leaning scholars including Prof. Park Hyo-jong of Seoul National
University accused their academic colleagues of using their biased views to
create internal "social rift and conflicts."
"We do not agree with the recent spate of statements released by a few of our
colleagues," they said during a press conference in central Seoul. "South Korea's
democracy cannot be seen as backtracking. There should be limits to toleration by
authorities and recent policies should be seen as efforts to preserve democracy."

Conservative civic groups including the Citizens United for a Better Society and
Right Korea also issued statements Tuesday, accusing their ideological opponents
of "attempting to win political benefits" through Roh's death.
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)

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