South Korean newspapers are dismayed by President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment and united in concern about the country's future.

But press opinion is divided on who to blame for the crisis - Mr Roh or the opposition parliamentary majority who voted to suspend his powers.

A furious editorial in the daily Hangyore calls the impeachment the "most shameful day for Korean democracy".

"It will be remembered as the sad day when the progress in the course of achieving democratization was turned back by barbaric politics," the left-wing paper says.

If the opposition displays rash and thoughtless actions, Koreans will never forgive them Choson Ilbo

"It was the day the political forces of old moved to seize power through a parliamentary coup d'etat, under camouflage of the constitution, as a desperate attempt to hold on to power as it fades away."

South Korean deputies will end their terms of office with the general election scheduled for next month, while Mr Roh's powers are in limbo until a Constitutional Court ruling on Friday's vote, which the opposition called after he broke election laws.

The English-language Korea Times says in an editorial: "The causes for the impeachment are still weak and it is controversial whether these causes satisfy the requirements for impeachment in the Constitution."

"However, the most important is what develops from now on. First of all, the government should make every effort to carry out state affairs from the dispatch of troops to Iraq to six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear programme and to stabilisation the life of the people."

'Tragedy of immature politics'

South Korea's largest daily, Choson Ilbo, a harsh Roh critic, says: "Opposition parties that passed the impeachment bill should feel more responsible for this. If the opposition displays rash and thoughtless actions out of joy of victory, Koreans will never forgive them."

It is tragic. We feel bewildered Chungang Ilbo

Describing the affair as a "tragedy caused by South Korea's immature politics", the conservative Chosun Ilbo urges people to focus on solving the situation, and to "defend the nation and overcome the crisis".

"It is tragic. We feel bewildered," the country's second-largest daily, Joongang Ilbo, says, urging "nervous and worried" South Koreans to remain calm.

"We must be determined to overcome this crisis wisely because it will determine the fate of our country," it says.

Turning point?

The paper defends the vote to impeach the president as legitimate, arguing the president bears much of the blame for the current political uncertainty.

"President Roh must feel ashamed of himself, as he has become the first president in the history of our constitution to be impeached."

The moderate Dong-a Ilbo goes even further in its criticism of Mr Roh and his supporters, blaming the president's "narrow-minded leadership" for his predicament and warning loyalists to refrain from further "hard-line measures".

The Maeil Business Newspaper calls for a swift settlement of the situation and says it is time the people and parties thought more about the future of the nation.

"Depending on how South Korea reacts to this crisis, this can be a turning point to boost strength of the country. But if this leads to an administrative vacuum and sparks disputes among the people, the future of our country will be more uncertain and gloomy."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.