[Chairman Lee Kun-hee Passes Away] Samsung Atmosphere: "Preparing a Simple Family Funeral"

On the 25th, the day Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Group, passed away, reporters were waiting at the Samsung Medical Center funeral hall in Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] With the passing of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee on the 25th, Samsung Group officials are quietly but busily preparing for the funeral.

Samsung Seoul Hospital in Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where Chairman Lee was receiving treatment, has no visitors yet but is crowded with Samsung officials and reporters.

Since the news of Chairman Lee's passing was announced in the morning, reporters have begun gathering at the Samsung Seoul Hospital funeral hall, and currently dozens are waiting around the entrance of the funeral hall.

Samsung plans to form a funeral committee to handle overall funeral matters. However, according to the wishes of the deceased and the bereaved family, the funeral will be held simply as a family funeral.

Due to concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), they have also politely declined condolences, so future condolences are expected to be mainly from Samsung employees and political or business figures who had relationships with the deceased during his lifetime, rather than the general public.

Samsung stated that condolences will be possible starting tomorrow, and because of the metropolitan area gathering ban order, the funeral hall will be controlled to allow no more than 50 people, so visitors will be admitted one by one by lining up outside the building.