Business and Economic Circles Mourn Lee Kun-hee as a Senior Leader of the Korean Economy
Political and Labor Sectors Remember Lee Kun-hee's Achievements, Mention 'Chaebol Reform' and 'Labor-Management Relations'
Arts and Sports Communities Honor Lee Kun-hee as a 'Patron' Interested in Culture
Ambassadors from Various Countries Visit Funeral Hall Representing Their Nations
Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, is leaving after paying his respects at the funeral hall set up for the late Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Group, at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 27th. 2020.10.27
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] The procession of condolences from political and business circles in memory of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee continues until the final day of the funeral. Not only political figures but also labor representatives visited the funeral hall, along with religious leaders, cultural and artistic figures, and sports officials who had been generously supported by the late chairman during his lifetime.
◆ Business Community: "Lee Kun-hee, a Man Who Gave Many Lessons"... Memorial Visits Continue
On the third day of Chairman Lee’s funeral, the 27th, key figures from the business community visited the late chairman at Samsung Medical Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from early morning to pay their respects.
Gu Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG Group, arrived around 10:37 a.m. and expressed his feelings, saying, "It is truly regrettable that senior figures in the business community are not around longer to give us more guidance." Chairman Gu spent about 20 minutes talking with the bereaved family.
Gu Ja-yeol, Chairman of LS Group, also visited the funeral hall in the morning along with his younger brothers Gu Ja-yong, Chairman of E1, and Gu Ja-gyun, Chairman of LS Electric. They stayed at the funeral hall for about 20 minutes before leaving. Chairman Gu said, "I believe Chairman Lee has gone to a good place."
Former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-sung, Lotte Holdings Board Chairman Hwang Kak-kyu, Samsung Electro-Mechanics President Kyung Kye-hyun, Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Jung Tae-young, KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyu, and Korea International Trade Association Chairman Kim Young-joo also visited the funeral hall.
In the afternoon, Choi Jeong-woo, Chairman of POSCO, visited and expressed his condolences, saying, "The late chairman was a person who led the renaissance of our country's manufacturing industry with outstanding creativity and innovation."
Notably, Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung, paid his respects for the second consecutive day. Chairman Cho recalled, "When I was young, the late chairman sent me two Jindo dogs," and described him as "a warm-hearted person." Unlike the previous day when he visited personally due to a close friendship, this day he was accompanied by company executives including Vice Chairman Lee Sang-woon and President Cho Hyun-sang, reportedly visiting as a group on behalf of the company.
◆ Political and Labor Figures Also Pay Respects... Park Young-sun Mentions 'Chaebol Reform', Moon Sung-hyun Talks About 'Labor-Management Relations'
Political figures also visited the funeral hall to pay their respects. Former lawmaker Shim Jae-cheol visited the funeral hall for the second consecutive day, saying, "Yesterday, there were so many people that I couldn't pay my respects properly," and added, "It is truly regrettable that a core figure of our country's economy has passed away. I expressed my gratitude for his efforts in uplifting our economy."
Kim Hong-eop, chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center and son of the late President Kim Dae-jung, also paid his respects that morning. He said, "Chairman Lee paid respects to my late father during his lifetime, and Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong also paid respects at my mother (Mrs. Lee Hee-ho)'s funeral," adding, "It is only right that I come to pay my respects."
Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, who was known as the "Samsung sniper" during her time as a member of the National Assembly and advocated for chaebol reform, said, "Chaebol reform is a topic that must not be forgotten," and added, "Chaebol reform will continue to be a strength for Samsung's competitiveness, especially its global competitiveness."
She continued, "The insight to choose semiconductors as Korea's food source over 30 years ago ultimately created today's global Samsung," and praised the late chairman's insight. When Park served as chairperson of the party's Chaebol Reform Special Committee, she proposed several bills targeting Samsung Group, including the 'Lee Hak-soo Bill' (Act on the Recovery of Proceeds from Specific Property Crimes and Compensation for Damages).
Chairman Lee’s funeral is a four-day event, with the farewell ceremony scheduled for the morning of the 28th. To prevent COVID-19 infection, visitors to the funeral hall must register individually via electronic entry logs (QR codes), and the number of mourners inside the funeral hall is limited to fewer than 50. The burial site is reported to be the family graveyard in Yongin.
Moon Sung-hyun, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council and a representative of Korea’s first generation labor movement, also visited the funeral hall. Chairman Moon said, "I conveyed that we (Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics and I) will newly develop the remaining labor-management relations."
He added, "In the past, Chairman Lee and I went through difficult situations from different perspectives, so we must show respect," and said, "Good labor-management relations at Samsung are essential for the Korean economy to do well."
◆ Cultural, Artistic, and Sports Figures Including Baek Gun-woo and Park Chan-ho Also Pay Respects
Pianist Baek Gun-woo is leaving after paying respects at the funeral hall set up for the late Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung Group, at Samsung Medical Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 27th. / Photo by Joint Press Corps
On this day, figures from the cultural, artistic, and sports communities also visited the funeral hall. This showed the late chairman’s influence and great interest in supporting culture, arts, and sports.
World-renowned violinist Chung Kyung-wha and pianists Baek Gun-woo and Cho Seong-jin paid their respects. Baek Gun-woo and Chung Kyung-wha have a connection with Chairman Lee as recipients of the Ho-Am Prize in the arts category, established by Lee Kun-hee in 2000 and 2011 respectively, in honor of his father, Ho-Am Lee Byung-chul, the former chairman.
When asked about his feelings, Baek Gun-woo tearfully said, "It feels like I have lost my father. There is nothing more to say." When asked if he had any message for the late chairman, he replied, "I love you."
In the sports world, Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korean Sports Council, represented the domestic sports community in paying respects, and former Major League Baseball player Park Chan-ho also visited.
Additionally, foreign ambassadors including Nguyen Phu Trong, the newly appointed Vietnamese ambassador to Korea; Moses Chomer, Hungarian ambassador to Korea; Michael Reifenschuettel, German ambassador to Korea; Juan Ignacio Moro, Spanish ambassador to Korea; and Joanne Dolnwald, Dutch ambassador to Korea, visited the funeral hall on behalf of their countries.
Nguyen Phu Trong, the newly appointed Vietnamese ambassador to Korea, said, "Vietnam is very grateful for the late chairman’s contributions to the development of the Vietnamese economy."
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