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Korean pastor Bill Kim to represent Seoul at Carter funeral

Published: 07 Jan. 2025, 16:48 Updated: 07 Jan. 2025, 18:15

Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, known as Billy Kim, center, chairman of Far East Broadcasting Company, and former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, attend the dedication ceremony for the newly named "Billy Kim Hall" at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Dec. 14, 2022. [YONHAP]

A prominent senior Korean pastor will attend the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Washington later this week as a government representative, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Kim Jang-hwan, chairman of the Far East Broadcasting Company, a Seoul-based Christian radio network, will lead the condolence delegation to the funeral, set for Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a press briefing.

The invitation is limited to those with special personal ties to the former president and his family, as the funeral does not receive official condolence delegations, except for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions stationed in the United States, Lee added.

Kim, also known as Billy Kim, has maintained a friendship with the late former president for over 40 years, dating back to Carter's time as the governor of Georgia.

Kim is also a well-known figure in political and religious circles in the United States.

Yonhap