◀ Anchor ▶
Political figures from the ruling and opposition parties continued to pay tribute to Mrs. Son Myeong-soon today, visiting her grave and paying their respects.
At the President’s Office, the Chief of Staff and other staff paid condolences, and President Yoon Seok-yeol sent a wreath.
Reporter Lee Yong-ju covered the story.
◀ Report ▶
On both sides of Mrs. Son Myeong-sun’s funeral, wreaths were placed to express condolences to President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon.
The ruling and opposition party leaders also visited the funeral home and evaluated the deceased’s contributions to former President Kim Young-sam during the democratization process.
[한동훈/국민의힘 비대위원장]
“I think all of our people have a connection with the deceased. I think he was a great person who supported him and fought alongside him when he was fighting.”
[이재명/더불어민주당 대표]
“You have made a great contribution to the establishment of democracy. The entire nation will remember you forever, and I hope you rest in peace.”
In the President’s Office, key aides, including the Chief of Staff, the Chief of Policy, the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, and the Senior Secretary for Public Relations, expressed condolences and left President Yoon’s name ghostwritten in the guestbook.
President Yoon Seok-yeol delivered a message to the bereaved families through his staff, saying, “Behind President Kim Young-sam, who led the democratization movement and made several major reforms while in office, was First Lady Son Myeong-sun.”
There was no official schedule for President Yoon Seok-yeol today announced by the Presidential Office.
Regarding the reason for not visiting the funeral in person, the President’s Office said, “Considering precedent, there has been no case in which the President has visited the funeral in person.”
Among the wives of presidents who took power after democratization, Lee Hee-ho, the wife of former President Kim Dae-jung, passed away in June 2019.
At the time, President Moon Jae-in was on a tour of three Northern European countries, and immediately after returning home, he went to First Lady Lee Hee-ho’s private residence in Donggyo-dong, Seoul to comfort the bereaved family.
Next to former President Moon was First Lady Kim Jung-sook.
[문재인 전 대통령 (2019년 6월 16일)]
“We lost a great leader of our country, and I don’t know what to say to comfort him.”
It was reported that in the middle of last month, President Yoon visited the funeral home of Rep. Jeong Jeong-sik, his college classmate and senior prosecutor, in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and stayed for about an hour to comfort the bereaved family.
This is Lee Yong-ju of MBC News.
Video coverage: Kim Hee-gun / Video editing: Moon Myeong-bae / Photo source: Sisa Magazine Gyeongnam Newspaper
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