ID :
62141
Sun, 05/24/2009 - 18:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/62141
The shortlink copeid
Roundup-Gov't to host funeral for late President Roh on Friday
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- A funeral service for former President Roh Moo-hyun will be held this week near his rural home in the country's southeast as the government and his family agreed Sunday to hold a "people's funeral" following a seven-day mourning period.
The service will be held Friday at a public stadium in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Province, according to Cheon Ho-sun, a spokesman for Roh's family.
Under current law, South Korea's former and incumbent heads of state are entitled
to a state or a people's funeral. A state funeral follows a nine-day mourning
period and has only been held once here for the late former President Park
Chung-hee.
The agreement between the government and Roh's family came after negotiations
over the family's initial request for a private funeral.
Roh, 62, died early Saturday after he fell from a cliff near his home in Bongha
Village, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
The police have tentatively concluded that the former head of state leaped to his
death as a memo that appeared to be a suicide note was later found on his
computer.
"The police conducted an in-depth analysis of the computer yesterday in the
presence of his family, and we found no evidence of manipulation, such as traces
of another person writing the note," Lee No-gu, chief of the investigation bureau
at the South Gyeongsang police agency, said.
Roh's sudden death has prompted strong outrage from his supporters who have long
claimed that the former president and his family were being persecuted through
politically motivated prosecution probes.
Both Roh and his wife Kwon Yang-sook, as well as their son Gun-ho, had been
summoned by the prosecution over allegations that Kwon and Gun-ho had received
millions of dollars from a private businessman.
The prosecution announced it was closing its investigation against Roh hours
after his death Saturday, citing termination of jurisdiction.
Tens of thousands of people, including government officials and legislators, have
paid their respects to the late former president at memorial altars set up at
Roh's retirement home in Bongha Village and in Seoul.
The government has decided to set up additional altars in the capital and other
major cities throughout the country as many more were expected to pay their
respects to the former president before the state-arranged funeral is held
Friday.
Hundreds, if not thousands, stood in line for hours to place flowers at an altar
placed in front of his home in Bongha Village.
Letters of condolence also rushed in from various world leaders, including U.S.
President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"I am shocked and in deep grief over the news of Roh's unexpected death," the
South Korean chief of the United Nations said in a message to the bereaved family
of Roh.
"I send my condolences to the South Korean government and its people who lost
their former leader," said Ban, who served as the country's foreign minister from
2004-2006 during Roh's presidency.
North Korea also reported the death of the former South Korean president Sunday,
raising questions over whether the communist state will send an official letter
of condolence or a delegation to the funeral.
While in office from 2003 to 2008, Roh sought to reconcile the Koreas while
opening up North Korea with unconditional economic aid and broad political and
cultural exchanges. He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyonayang in
2007 for the second-ever summit between the divided Koreas following the 2000
summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and then South Korean President
Kim Dae-jung.
President Lee Myung-bak has also decided to personally pay his respects to his
late predecessor.
"Whatever he does, he will pay tribute in person," a senior official at the
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said, noting the president will likely visit
Roh's retirement home in Bongha Village, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
Roh and his wife, Kwon, had settled in the rural town following his retirement
in February 2008.
After the funeral service, Roh will be laid to rest near his residence in Bongha
Village, according to his family spokesman Cheon, who served as a senior
presidential secretary for public information in the Roh administration.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and his predecessor Han Myeong-sook, who served as
prime minister under Roh, will jointly head a government committee that will
organize and oversee the state-arranged funeral service, he said.
The former president in the note to his family asked that his body be cremated
and a small stone monument be set up for him in the village.
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- A funeral service for former President Roh Moo-hyun will be held this week near his rural home in the country's southeast as the government and his family agreed Sunday to hold a "people's funeral" following a seven-day mourning period.
The service will be held Friday at a public stadium in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Province, according to Cheon Ho-sun, a spokesman for Roh's family.
Under current law, South Korea's former and incumbent heads of state are entitled
to a state or a people's funeral. A state funeral follows a nine-day mourning
period and has only been held once here for the late former President Park
Chung-hee.
The agreement between the government and Roh's family came after negotiations
over the family's initial request for a private funeral.
Roh, 62, died early Saturday after he fell from a cliff near his home in Bongha
Village, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
The police have tentatively concluded that the former head of state leaped to his
death as a memo that appeared to be a suicide note was later found on his
computer.
"The police conducted an in-depth analysis of the computer yesterday in the
presence of his family, and we found no evidence of manipulation, such as traces
of another person writing the note," Lee No-gu, chief of the investigation bureau
at the South Gyeongsang police agency, said.
Roh's sudden death has prompted strong outrage from his supporters who have long
claimed that the former president and his family were being persecuted through
politically motivated prosecution probes.
Both Roh and his wife Kwon Yang-sook, as well as their son Gun-ho, had been
summoned by the prosecution over allegations that Kwon and Gun-ho had received
millions of dollars from a private businessman.
The prosecution announced it was closing its investigation against Roh hours
after his death Saturday, citing termination of jurisdiction.
Tens of thousands of people, including government officials and legislators, have
paid their respects to the late former president at memorial altars set up at
Roh's retirement home in Bongha Village and in Seoul.
The government has decided to set up additional altars in the capital and other
major cities throughout the country as many more were expected to pay their
respects to the former president before the state-arranged funeral is held
Friday.
Hundreds, if not thousands, stood in line for hours to place flowers at an altar
placed in front of his home in Bongha Village.
Letters of condolence also rushed in from various world leaders, including U.S.
President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"I am shocked and in deep grief over the news of Roh's unexpected death," the
South Korean chief of the United Nations said in a message to the bereaved family
of Roh.
"I send my condolences to the South Korean government and its people who lost
their former leader," said Ban, who served as the country's foreign minister from
2004-2006 during Roh's presidency.
North Korea also reported the death of the former South Korean president Sunday,
raising questions over whether the communist state will send an official letter
of condolence or a delegation to the funeral.
While in office from 2003 to 2008, Roh sought to reconcile the Koreas while
opening up North Korea with unconditional economic aid and broad political and
cultural exchanges. He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyonayang in
2007 for the second-ever summit between the divided Koreas following the 2000
summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and then South Korean President
Kim Dae-jung.
President Lee Myung-bak has also decided to personally pay his respects to his
late predecessor.
"Whatever he does, he will pay tribute in person," a senior official at the
presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said, noting the president will likely visit
Roh's retirement home in Bongha Village, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
Roh and his wife, Kwon, had settled in the rural town following his retirement
in February 2008.
After the funeral service, Roh will be laid to rest near his residence in Bongha
Village, according to his family spokesman Cheon, who served as a senior
presidential secretary for public information in the Roh administration.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and his predecessor Han Myeong-sook, who served as
prime minister under Roh, will jointly head a government committee that will
organize and oversee the state-arranged funeral service, he said.
The former president in the note to his family asked that his body be cremated
and a small stone monument be set up for him in the village.
