SEOUL, March 11: South Korea's parliamentary speaker adjourned an unprecedented session called to try to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday because Roh supporters blocked him from presiding over the opposition-inspired debate.

The two parties seeking to impeach Roh said earlier they had secured enough support among their own members of parliament to pass the bill if it was put to the vote.

Roh put himself on a collision course with the opposition at a news conference earlier in the day when he refused to apologise for illegal electioneering. An impeachment vote, even if it is not upheld by the Constitutional Court, could plunge the country into months of political uncertainty.

"I am aware of public opinion that I should apologise," Roh said. "It is something difficult for me to accept." Adding to the high-stakes atmosphere, a Roh supporter set himself on fire outside parliament and was rushed to hospital, and a businessman Roh had named at his briefing went missing after telling his lawyer he was going to kill himself. -Reuters