"Legendary Entrepreneur"... Shin Kyuk-ho's Funeral Hall, Condolences from Lee Jae-yong, Sohn Kyung-shik, Park Yong-man, and Others

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong are leaving the funeral hall set up for the late Shin Kyuk-ho, Honorary Chairman of Lotte Group, at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seung-jin] On the morning of the 20th, condolences from political and business figures continued at the funeral hall of Shin Kyuk-ho, Honorary Chairman of Lotte Group, who passed away on the 19th.

At the funeral hall set up at Seoul Asan Medical Center, Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group, was the first family member to arrive around 7:50 a.m. At about 8:26 a.m., Shin Dong-ju, the eldest son and former Vice Chairman of Lotte Holdings Japan (currently Chairman of SDJ Corporation), also visited the funeral hall to greet mourners alongside Chairman Shin.

At 9:37 a.m., Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, was the first business figure to visit the funeral hall and pay respects. Lee stayed for about 10 minutes before leaving. He did not respond to reporters' questions about anecdotes with the late Honorary Chairman Shin during his lifetime.

Earlier, at around 9:15 a.m., Choi Eun-young, former Chairman of Hanjin Shipping, also arrived early at the funeral hall. Choi is the eldest daughter of Shin Jeong-sook, the younger sister of Honorary Chairman Shin.

After 10 a.m., a continuous stream of condolences from various sectors followed.

At about 10:20 a.m., Kim Hyung-o, former Speaker of the National Assembly, visited the funeral hall and stayed for about 10 minutes to pay respects. Kim described Honorary Chairman Shin as "a model mythical entrepreneur amid the twists and turns of modern history."

Son Kyung-sik, Chairman of CJ Group, also visited the funeral hall at 10:53 a.m. It was reported that Son came directly to the funeral hall after a business trip to Japan. Son said, "(Honorary Chairman Shin) was someone I originally respected, the greatest elder and executive," adding, "He now remains a legendary entrepreneur for us. I pray for the deceased's happiness in the afterlife."

Shortly after, at 11:02 a.m., Park Yong-man, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also joined in paying respects. When asked about anecdotes with Honorary Chairman Shin, Park said, "He was almost the last of the self-made entrepreneurial generation," adding, "I think about how difficult the process must have been to build today's Lotte." He added, "I offer my condolences to the deceased."

Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group, is entering the funeral hall of the late Shin Kyuk-ho, Honorary Chairman of Lotte Group, set up at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Jung Mong-joon, Chairman of the Asan Foundation, also visited the funeral hall. Arriving at 11:22 a.m. and staying for about 15 minutes, Jung said, "He was a great role model for many businesspeople in our country," and shared an anecdote about Honorary Chairman Shin, saying, "When building Lotte World Tower, he personally met with me to explain things. Seeing him work so hard at his age left a deep impression on me."

In response to reporters' questions about whether he spoke with the chief mourner, Jung said, "Honorary Chairman Shin's hometown is Ulsan, and since I am also from Ulsan, we talked about the burial site and future funeral arrangements."

In addition, on the morning of the same day, Chung Ji-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Department Store, the Chairman of NongHyup Financial Group, and Oh Keo-don, Mayor of Busan, also visited the funeral hall. In the afternoon, Kim Sang-jo, Chief of the Presidential Policy Office, was also expected to pay respects on behalf of President Moon Jae-in.

Inside the funeral hall, wreaths sent by President Moon, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, and former Speaker Kim Hyung-o were placed.

Wreaths from business figures such as Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Group; Huh Chang-soo, Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries; Park Yong-man, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Chung Mong-gu, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group; Kim Seung-yeon, Chairman of Hanwha Group; Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of LS Group; Jung Mong-joon, Chairman of the Asan Foundation; and Chung Eui-sun, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, were also displayed.