Home > National > Politics

Body of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan arrives at funeral hall

Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 12:21

A coffin carrying the body of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan is seen being transported to the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, cetnral Seoul, on Jan. 27. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The body of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died suddenly while on a business trip to Vietnam, arrived at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday.

At around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a hearse carrying Lee’s coffin entered the underground parking lot of the hospital, where members of the Democratic Party (DP) and an honor guard were lined up in formation.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum observed the arrival with solemn expressions.

Inside the funeral hall’s first mourning room on the third floor, nearly 30 DP lawmakers and senior officials — including chief spokesperson Rep. Park Soo-hyun and chief party secretary for floor communications Rep. Jeon Yong-gi — had been waiting since early morning.

Wreaths from President Lee Jae Myung, Prime Minister Kim, Speaker Woo and DP chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae were arranged side by side inside the mourning room. Jung is expected to serve as chief mourner starting from noon.

The government, honoring the wishes of the bereaved family, will conduct a five-day public funeral from Tuesday to Saturday, combining it with the protocol of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), a presidential advisory body, to ensure official honors.

Lee Hae-chan, who was in Ho Chi Minh City, VIetnam, for a PUAC meeting last Friday, began experiencing difficulty breathing and was rushed to the emergency room while receiving CPR.

He was diagnosed with myocardial infarction and underwent stent insertion followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment but died on Sunday.

A seven-term lawmaker who served as both DP chairman and prime minister, Lee Hae-chan was appointed executive vice chair of the PUAC in October last year.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]