President, first lady attend funeral of late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan
Published: 31 Jan. 2026, 11:24
Updated: 01 Feb. 2026, 15:34
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- LEE TAE-HEE
- [email protected]
![President Lee Jae Myung wipes away tears during the funeral service for the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan held at the National Assembly on Jan. 31. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/01/8c04160d-5554-4e97-8dcc-7f9722db00d1.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung wipes away tears during the funeral service for the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan held at the National Assembly on Jan. 31. [YONHAP]
President Lee Jae Myung attended the funeral service of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan at the National Assembly on Saturday morning.
The president arrived at the memorial service wearing a black suit and a mourning ribbon, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung. The couple watched in silence as a portrait of the late former prime minister was brought into the hall.
Afterward, the president and first lady sat alongside the bereaved family as Cho Jung-sik, special adviser to the president for political affairs, read a summary of the late former prime minister's life.
![President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung attend the funeral service for the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan at the National Assembly on Jan. 31. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/01/ae992461-05a7-4a2a-8394-e06bf298f2be.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung attend the funeral service for the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan at the National Assembly on Jan. 31. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Also seated in the same row were National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.
The funeral procession began at 6:30 a.m. at Seoul National University Hospital’s funeral hall. Memorial rites followed at the office of The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council at 7:20 a.m. and at the headquarters of the Democratic Party at 8:10 a.m.
![President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, along with other officials who participated in the late Lee Hae-chan's funeral service at the National Assembly on Jan. 31, bow their heads in respect. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/01/f9d2e11f-7366-4922-8979-b2650de6013d.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, along with other officials who participated in the late Lee Hae-chan's funeral service at the National Assembly on Jan. 31, bow their heads in respect. [YONHAP]
The main funeral ceremony was then held at 9 a.m. at the National Assembly, with cremation scheduled for 11 a.m. at Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho District, southern Seoul.
Following the cremation, the procession will stop by the late former prime minister’s home in Jeondong-myeon, Sejong. In accordance with his wishes to be laid to rest near his parents, a burial ceremony will be held at 3:30 p.m. at Eunhasu Park Cemetery in Sejong.
![A portrait of the late Lee Hae-chan is carried into the National Assembly for a funeral service on Jan. 31. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/01/14ae7f2d-a1d2-45bf-a853-84cbc99e6d1d.jpg)
A portrait of the late Lee Hae-chan is carried into the National Assembly for a funeral service on Jan. 31. [NEWS1]
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE, LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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