South Korea to hold state funeral for late ex-President Roh Tae-woo

Oct 28, 2021, 09:13 am

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The South Korean government decided Wednesday to hold a state funeral for late former President Roh Tae-woo. This photo taken on Oct. 27, 2021, shows the funeral portrait of Roh at a funeral parlor at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul./ Source: Pool photo

AsiaToday reporter Lee Seok-jong

South Korea decided to hold a state funeral for late former President Roh Tae-woo. “The government will hold a state funeral for Roh and thoroughly prepare it with respect so that people can pay tribute to his contribution,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyun said during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

This is the second time that a five-day state funeral for former presidents will be held following former President Kim Young-sam in 2015. In the case of Kim Dae-jung and Park Chung-hee, “state funerals” which could last up to 9 days were held under the law that was in place then. Roh Moo-hyun and Choi Kyu hah had “national funerals” which could last up to 7 days. In 2014, the previous state and national funerals were combined to one type of “state funeral.”

“Although Roh has historic faults regarding the Dec. 12 coup and the May 18 Democratic Uprising, we considered that he made a contribution with his Northward Policy after being elected through a direct vote and made efforts to pay his fine,” the government said in a statement.

However, Roh will not be buried in a national cemetery as he does not qualify under a law which stipulates that those convicted of a crime and who served a prison sentence are not eligible for burial in a national cemetery.

As a result, Roh is expected to be buried in the border town of Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Roh’s son Roh Jae-heon said the bereaved family hopes to bury Roh in Paju.

Roh Jae-heon also unveiled the will of his father to reporters. “The deceased thought he had infinite responsibility for all things that happened, whether it is good or bad, because he cared a lot about the country and his duty,” Roh Jae-heon said. “He was looking for forgiveness for his faults and responsibility, particularly related to the pain of the May 18 democratic movement victims and also various events that happened during his tenure.”

Prime Minister Kim will head the state funeral committee for Roh’s state funeral.

The state funeral will run for five days through Saturday, with a burial site soon to be determined after consulting with Roh’s family.

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