Chairman Lee Kun-hee's Funeral Day 3... Political and Business Circles Continue Paying Respects

Continued Visits from Business Leaders Including Koo Kwang-mo, Choi Jung-woo, and Cho Hyun-joon
Pianist Baek Gun-woo and Baseball Player Park Chan-ho Also Pay Respects

Former baseball player Park Chan-ho visited the funeral hall at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee's wake was held, on the 27th to pay his respects. (Photo by Lee Ki-min)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the third day of the funeral for Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, the condolence hall set up at Samsung Medical Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, saw a continuous stream of political and business figures paying their respects until late afternoon on the 27th.

Around 10:40 a.m. that day, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo visited the condolence hall and paid his respects for about 20 minutes. He said, "(Chairman Lee) was a great entrepreneur who significantly advanced our country's high-tech industry," adding, "It is unfortunate that the senior figures in the business community are not around longer to provide more guidance."

In the afternoon, business leaders continued to visit. POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo visited the condolence hall around 2:40 p.m. and expressed his condolences, saying, "The deceased led a renaissance in our country's manufacturing industry with outstanding creativity and innovation." He added, "Chairman Lee left many teachings for today's business leaders, and that spirit must be passed down continuously."

NCSoft CEO Kim Taek-jin also spoke to reporters after paying respects, saying, "Everyone knows the role Samsung played in making South Korea what it is today," and "The deceased was at the center of that." He expressed his condolences, saying, "Although you may not hear this now, I want to say that we are who we are today because of him."

Hyun-joon Cho, Chairman of Hyosung Group, visited the funeral hall at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where the condolence room for Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung, was set up, on the 27th to pay his respects.

Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon visited the condolence hall for the second consecutive day, following his personal visit the previous day. On this day, he came with company executives including Vice Chairman Lee Sang-woon and President Cho Hyun-sang, officially paying respects on behalf of the group. Chairman Cho also shared an anecdote, saying, "When I was young, the deceased sent me two Jindo dogs."

Others who paid respects that day included Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Chung Tae-young, former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-sung, Lotte Holdings Board Chairman Hwang Kak-gyu, Samsung Electro-Mechanics President Kyung Kye-hyun, and KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyu.

Political figures also continued to pay their respects. Kim Jin-pyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "No one believed that Korea's semiconductor industry, led by Samsung, would become the world's number one company. However, Chairman Lee's spirit of innovative management produced remarkable results and raised the pride of our people."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo visited the funeral hall at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where the condolence room for Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee was set up, on the 27th to pay his respects. (Photo by Lee Ki-min)

He also shared an anecdote about Chairman Lee. Rep. Kim said, "Early in former President Roh Moo-hyun's term, when I was Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, I once took the entire Federation of Korean Industries chairman group to the United States to strengthen Korea-US relations. During the ten-day trip, I had many discussions with Chairman Lee, Chairman Koo Bon-moo, and Chairman Chung Mong-koo about how to revive our economy."

Notably, pianist Baek Gun-woo and Cho Seong-jin, as well as former baseball player Park Chan-ho, also visited Chairman Lee's condolence hall, drawing attention. Mr. Baek tearfully said, "It feels like I lost my father," and "I love you." Park, who revealed his connection to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, explained, "I heard that when Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley visited Korea as a child, he once had a meal at Chairman Lee's house. I came here on his request to deliver some comfort during this difficult time."