"Farewell to Mayor Park"... City Hall Memorial Altar, Citizens Pay Respects Continue

After 3 PM, the Condolence Waiting Line Grows Longer
Some Citizens Voice Opposition to the Seoul Mayor's Funeral (葬)

At around 3 p.m. on the 11th, citizens are paying their respects at the condolence altar set up in front of Seoul City Hall for the late Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul.
Photo by Yoo Byung-don tamond@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Citizens' tributes to the late Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, continue unabated despite the heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The footsteps of mourners circling Seoul Plaza are growing longer past 3 p.m. Some mourners were seen wiping away tears as they left the memorial altar after paying their respects.

Meanwhile, some conservative groups holding rallies near Seoul City Hall Plaza and those criticizing the sexual harassment allegations against Mayor Park were occasionally seen. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the police deployed a large number of security guards and police officers near City Hall in preparation for possible clashes.

At the memorial altar for Mayor Park, set up the previous day at the citizen plaza in front of Seoul City Hall, citizens began paying their respects from 11 a.m. on the 11th. The altar, measuring 9 meters wide and 3 meters long, was decorated with 9,500 flowers. Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), citizens maintained a certain distance from each other while waiting around the plaza.

On the afternoon of the 11th, around 3 PM, a queue of citizens waiting to pay their respects continued at the condolence altar for the late Mayor Park Won-soon, set up in front of Seoul City Hall.
Photo by Yoo Byung-don tamond@

According to Seoul City, as of 2:30 p.m. that day, more than 2,200 citizens had visited the memorial altar. The waiting line, which had been gradually growing, saw even more citizens arriving at the plaza after 2 p.m. to pay their respects. The queue of citizens extended not only around the entire plaza but also reached the City Hall intersection.

Jang (45), who came from Nowon-gu, Seoul, said, “Mayor Park Won-soon was an extraordinary figure who served as Seoul’s mayor for over 10 years and was like a father to the citizens.” He added, “When I first heard the news of his passing, my heart felt heavy, and it seemed like the world was collapsing.”

Bae (34), who came from Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, said, “I was not a supporter of Mayor Park, but I thought it was right to pay tribute to his final path as someone who worked for democracy, so I came to the memorial altar.” He added, “Although there are sexual harassment allegations, I don’t think it’s necessary to belittle the achievements he made so far.”

On the afternoon of the 11th, a woman is holding a solo protest against the Seoul Metropolitan Mayor (funeral) near the memorial altar for the late Park Won-soon, set up in front of Seoul City Hall.
Photo by Yoo Byung-don tamond@

On the other hand, some citizens expressed discomfort while looking at the memorial altar. Near the waiting line of citizens visiting the altar, a woman appeared holding a one-person protest criticizing the sexual harassment allegations against Mayor Park. She held a placard saying, “Do not glorify Mayor Park’s accident as a righteous act” and “Oppose the Seoul Metropolitan Government funeral that wastes taxpayers’ money for five days,” criticizing the operation of the memorial altar.

Kwon (31, female) said, “Mayor Park was accused of sexual harassment, but his avoidance of responsibility and extreme choice are hard to understand from a citizen’s perspective.” She added, “If he represented Seoul, he should have accepted the consequences of his mistakes. I find it questionable that the funeral is being held as a Seoul Metropolitan Government funeral and that a memorial altar is even set up.”

At around 3:10 p.m., a conservative group held a rally playing music on the east side of the citizen plaza, leading to clashes between the conservative group and their supporters. Police mediating the situation and supporters of Mayor Park also engaged in physical altercations.

Meanwhile, the citizen memorial altar in front of City Hall to honor Mayor Park will be open from that day until the 13th. Operating hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.