President Moon's Condolences: White Kiwan with a Visit, Baek Seon-yeop with Flowers, What Do You Think? [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

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No Young-min, Chief Secretary at the Time, Pays Condolences at General Baek Sun-yeop's Funeral
"Hope You Fly Freely" Moon Jae-in Pays Condolences at Baek Ki-wan's Funeral

President Moon Jae-in is leaving the funeral hall after paying his respects at the funeral altar of the late Baek Ki-wan, director of the Unification Issues Research Institute, set up at Seoul National University Hospital's funeral hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 17th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Some criticism has arisen claiming that President Moon Jae-in showed a form of neglect by not paying respects at the funeral of the late General Baek Sun-yeop but visiting the funeral of the late Baek Ki-wan, head of the Unification Issues Research Institute. However, there is also a view that presidential condolence visits are highly political acts that inherently carry messages, making such conflicts inevitable.

On the 17th, President Moon visited the funeral hall set up for Director Baek Ki-wan at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. At the funeral hall, President Moon paid tribute to the deceased and comforted the bereaved family. This was the first time in two years that President Moon personally visited a funeral since he paid respects to the late Kim Bok-dong, a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, in January 2019.

Criticism has arisen over President Moon’s condolence visit, questioning why only floral wreaths were sent to the funeral of General Baek Sun-yeop (retired Army General) in July last year. At that time, political circles urged President Moon to visit the funeral in person. Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, wrote on his Facebook, "President Moon could become the president of the Republic of Korea because General Baek protected the country," and added, "I earnestly request President Moon to personally pay respects to General Baek."

Former President Lee Myung-bak visited the funeral hall of the late Park Tae-joon, former chairman of POSCO, set up at Sinchon Severance Hospital on the afternoon of December 14, 2011, awarded the Order of Service Merit, Cheongjo, and comforted the bereaved family. Photo by Cheongwadae

The controversy surrounding President Moon’s condolence visits arises because presidential condolences are political acts in themselves. For example, former President Lee Myung-bak personally visited the funeral halls of Park Tae-joon, honorary chairman of POSCO, in December 2011, and Gu Pyung-hoe, honorary chairman of E1 and founding advisor of LG, in October 2012. Kim Hyo-jae, then Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, explained, "The government’s policy was to respect businesspeople, so the president visited and mourned at their funeral halls."

Former President Park Geun-hye paid respects four times. In 2013, as a member of the National Assembly, she visited the funeral of Nam Deok-woo, her campaign chairman and former Prime Minister; in 2015, she visited the funerals of her cousin and wife of former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil, Park Young-ok, and former President Kim Young-sam. She also attended the state funeral of Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore, whom she had known since her time as First Lady.

President Moon’s condolence visits have sometimes sparked conflicts between progressives and conservatives. In June 2018, President Moon did not personally visit the funeral of former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil. Instead, then Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Boo-kyum was sent to the funeral to confer the Order of Civil Merit, Mugunghwa Medal.

Kim Eui-kyeom, then Blue House spokesperson, said in a briefing, "President Moon conveyed to Minister Kim to express condolences to the bereaved family with proper respect," adding, "This concludes the president’s condolence." On the other hand, in June 2019, when the late Lee Hee-ho, wife of former President Kim Dae-jung, passed away, President Moon returned from a Nordic tour and personally visited the Donggyo-dong residence to comfort the family.

On the morning of July 15 last year, the funeral ceremony of the late General Baek Seon-yeop was held at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Meanwhile, at General Baek Sun-yeop’s funeral in July last year, it was Chief of Staff Noh Young-min, not President Moon, who paid respects. The Blue House sent a wreath in President Moon’s name. However, criticism has emerged recently as President Moon personally visited Director Baek Ki-wan’s funeral.

Some argue this contradicts the promise to be a president for all citizens. A visitor to General Baek’s funeral at the time criticized, "You can tell the level of a country by how it treats its heroes."

As a result, there are murmurs about President Moon’s direct condolence visit to Director Baek Ki-wan’s funeral. Kim, a company employee in his 40s, said, "It is a bit regrettable that only a wreath was sent to General Baek Sun-yeop’s funeral," adding, "I think the controversy arises because President Moon personally visited Director Baek Ki-wan’s funeral this time."

On the other hand, Lee, a worker in his 30s, said, "The president is human too; if there is a connection, he can go, and if circumstances don’t allow, he might not be able to," adding, "I think these comments come because he is the president, but I don’t think it’s a case of ‘condolence division.’"

Meanwhile, at Director Baek Ki-wan’s funeral, President Moon placed a chrysanthemum and a glass of liquor in front of the deceased’s portrait, bowed, and comforted the bereaved family. He said to the family, "I met your father many times over the years, had quite a few conversations, and was together at rally sites," adding, "Now I hope he entrusts things to the juniors and flies freely."