President Moon Delivers Condolences via Floral Tribute Instead of Visiting Late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon... Late General Paik Sun-yup Also Sends Floral Tribute, Will President Moon Visit Personally?
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Until the funeral ceremony of the late Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan City, concluded on the 13th, President Moon Jae-in was unable to pay his respects in person. He did not have the opportunity to show proper respect in front of the death of his 'longtime friend' with whom he shared the democratization movement, and only sent a condolence wreath in the name of President Moon to the funeral hall. President Moon also replaced his visit with a condolence wreath for the late General Paik Sun-yup, retired general (four-star general).
President Moon's emotions had already been revealed through the message of Chief of Staff to the President Noh Young-min. After visiting the late Mayor Park's funeral hall on the 10th, Chief Noh said, "The President said it was too shocking as he had a long-standing relationship since their training academy days."
The reason President Moon ultimately did not pay his respects in person is not unrelated to political controversy. Regarding the sexual harassment allegations against the late Mayor Park, some members of the United Future Party and the Justice Party pointed out the inappropriateness of paying respects, which fueled the debate.
On the 13th, bereaved family members are paying tribute with flowers at the funeral ceremony of the late Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, held at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps
The form of the funeral also became a subject of controversy, and a petition opposing the 'Seoul Metropolitan Mayor (state funeral)' was even raised on the Blue House's petition platform. It became a situation where President Moon's condolence visit inevitably carried political implications. However, there are also considerable arguments that it was the right choice for President Moon to directly express his condolences regarding the death of the three-term Seoul mayor, a key partner in national governance.
This controversy extended to the condolence visit for the late General Paik, who is called a 'hero of the Korean War.' Although General Paik is recognized as a figure who defended the country, such as holding the Nakdong River line during the Korean War, controversies over his pro-Japanese activities have caused divided evaluations of him.
In fact, some progressive circles oppose the burial of General Paik at the National Daejeon Cemetery, and the debate surrounding him has not easily subsided. However, considering his symbolic status as the first four-star general in the Korean military, there are many who argue that it is natural to show sufficient respect as a head of state. They claim that sending a condolence wreath in the president's name to the funeral hall was insufficient and that it was necessary to pay respects in person.
On the 12th, citizens paying their respects at the public condolence altar for the late General Baek Seon-yeop set up at Gwanghwamun Square, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
In this regard, it is noteworthy that key Blue House figures such as Chief of Staff Noh Young-min and National Security Office Director Suh Hoon visited General Paik's funeral hall, and that government and ruling party leaders such as Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan also visited the funeral hall to pay their respects.
Previously, President Moon stated in a message on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, "The government will forever remember the heroes who defended the country together with the people." If President Moon visits the late General Paik's funeral hall in person on the 15th, the day of the funeral, it will be a symbolic scene demonstrating the implementation of that message.
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