[No Tae-woo Passing] Is Burial at the National Cemetery Possible?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Attention is focused on whether former President Roh Tae-woo, who passed away on the 26th, will be buried at the National Cemetery.

On that day, a government official said, "According to the law, former and incumbent presidents are, in principle, eligible for burial at the National Cemetery, but under the current 'Act on the Establishment and Operation of National Cemeteries,' if a prison sentence is confirmed, even after a pardon, the crime remains and burial is not possible."

Former President Roh was sentenced to life imprisonment and 17 years by the Supreme Court in 1996 for charges including military rebellion. He was pardoned and reinstated on December 21, 1997, but in 2006, his honors were also revoked along with other key figures of the December 12 coup.

However, it is not entirely impossible for him to be buried at the National Cemetery. The burial of former presidents at the National Cemetery has so far been decided by the 'State Funeral Committee' under the 'State Funeral Act.' A government official said, "The burial site and funeral method of former presidents are decided by the State Council according to the State Funeral Act."

In fact, there have been cases where pardoned former presidents were buried at the National Cemetery according to the State Funeral Act. The late former President Kim Dae-jung is one such case. He was sentenced to death in 1981 for violating the National Security Act as a ringleader of the Gwangju Democratization Movement but was pardoned and reinstated in 1987. When former President Kim passed away in 2009, then Minister of Justice Kim Kyung-han stated at the State Council, "The Ministry of Justice judged that the eligibility for burial at the National Cemetery is restored upon pardon and reinstatement," and buried former President Kim at Seoul National Cemetery.

Meanwhile, the National Cemetery for Heads of State in Daejeon was established on June 6, 2004, at a cost of 619 million won, covering a total area of 2,925 pyeong including stairs and planting spaces. The cemetery area accommodates four graves, each about 80 pyeong.

The presidential tomb is constructed as a circular mound with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a height of 2.7 meters, supported by 12 tombstones. The 3.46-meter-high monument is inscribed on the front with "Tomb of the ○th President ○○○" and on the back with the date of birth, birthplace, date of death, place of death, and cause of death. If the bereaved family wishes, the head of state’s spouse can also be buried together. It is expected that former President Roh will be buried here upon the request of his family after his passing.