Massive crowd says farewell

Social Affairs

Published: 30 May. 2009, 00:01

Massive crowd says farewell

A huge portrait of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun leads the hearse as it makes its way through the mammoth crowd that gathered to pay tribute during his funeral yesterday in downtown Seoul. [AP]

Mourners gathered at the courtyard of an ancient palace in downtown Seoul yesterday for the funeral of former President Roh Moo-hyun as a solemn Korea bid farewell to its late leader.

Nearly 170,000, many shedding tears, watched the funeral ceremony shown on big screens and participated in a memorial procession at the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall and nearby streets. Seoul’s downtown was covered with waves of yellow, a symbol of Roh supporters since his 2002 presidential election. The crowds wore yellow hats, held yellow balloons and tied yellow ribbons around their arms and necks.

The scandal-plagued former president plunged from a rocky cliff in his hometown of Bongha, South Gyeongsang, May 23, ending his life at 62. Following the apparent suicide, Roh was accorded a seven-day national mourning period. A people’s funeral was organized by the Lee Myung-bak administration and officials who served the Roh administration.

The late former president’s hearse left Bongha Village at 6 a.m. yesterday, following a memorial service marking the start of the funeral procession. About 20,000, including Roh’s family, close aides and villagers, attended the rites before the hearse traveled 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) to reach Seoul’s Gyeongbok Palace.

President Lee Myung-bak steps down after offering a flower at the altar for Roh. [Joint Press Corps]

The hearse, covered with white flowers, arrived at the palace’s courtyard at 11 a.m., where 2,500 mourners, including President Lee and former President Kim Dae-jung, were waiting. The late president’s surviving family members sat in the front row while a military band opened the ceremony with a rendition of “Free as a Bird.”

After the national anthem was played, mourners paid silent respects to the late leader. A brief personal history of Roh was read, and the former and current prime ministers who co-chaired the funeral organization committee delivered memorial addresses.

“As we look back, your life was devoted to human rights, democracy and a fight against authoritarianism,” Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said. “Born a son of a poor, peasant family, you have devoted your life to the country and the people by working as a human rights lawyer, democracy fighter, lawmaker and president of Korea.

“We will remember your spirit. We will renew our resolution to build a better world,” Han said. “We will do our best to realize your earnest dream of reconciliation and unity and to build an advanced country.”

The funeral reached its emotional peak when former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook addressed the mourners in a trembling voice. As Han said, “It is extremely lamentable that we were unable to protect you. We are sorry that we could not do so,” Roh’s surviving family, aides and most of the mourners shed tears.

“You didn’t fail,” the former prime minister of the Roh administration said. “We will follow your path and your dream and realize Korea’s dream. You will be a president who is remembered forever in all the people’s hearts.”

Buddhist, Protestant, Catholic and Won Buddhist funeral rites followed, and a four-minute presentation of Roh’s life was shown on a big screen. “Of all the nicknames that I have earned, I like ‘fool’,” the video presentation featured Roh as saying during a 2007 media interview. “I think the country will succeed if politicians conduct politics with a fool’s spirit. Anyway, I like to be called a fool.”

Roh’s wife, Kwon Yang-sook, and his son, Gun-ho, as well as Roh’s elder brother and a granddaughter laid flowers as mourners wept.

As President Lee and his wife approached the altar to lay flowers, Democratic Party Representative Baek Won-woo abruptly stood from the near the front and ran toward the presidential couple, shouting, “Don’t lay the flowers! How dare you come here!” Dozens of secret service agents stopped the lawmaker and forced him to move away from the president. “You must apologize! You have murdered him in political retaliation! President Lee must apologize to President Roh!” Baek continued.

Other Democratic Party officials rushed to calm the lawmaker, and the tight-lipped President Lee finished laying flowers. Afterwards, Lee approached Roh’s family and expressed condolences, dropping his head. Kwon, the widow, nodded, but Roh’s son turned his face away.

Following the lawmaker’s outburst, mourners regained their calm. In turn, former president Kim Dae-jung laid flowers and comforted Roh’s family. Although the family remained seated when Lee approached them, they all stood up and shook hands with Kim.

A 21-gun national salute was fired in a tribute to the ex-president, wrapping up the official funeral ceremony that was broadcast live to the nation.

The hearse then moved through the streets of Gwanghwamun to reach the plaza at Seoul City Hall. Traveling slowly as a sea of mourners filled the 10-lane central Seoul street, the hearse stopped at the plaza, then moved to Seoul Station. From there, Roh’s hearse drove to Suwon, Gyeonggi, where the late former president was to be cremated in accordance to his will. The remains will be moved to Bongha Village.

As a grief-stricken public wrapped up the seven-day mourning period and funeral, a political storm simmered in the nation. The opposition Democratic Party has already made clear its members believe the Lee administration should be held accountable for Roh’s death.

“Those who must apologize have not done so, and it is undeniably wrong,” DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said on Thursday when he visited Bongha Village.

Democrats are expected to demand that Lee make a public apology and the justice minister and the head of the prosecution be replaced, claiming that the tough corruption investigation into Roh was tantamount to political murder.

By Ser Myo-ja [myoja@joongang.co.kr]