Former President No Tae-woo's Funeral Committee Composed of 353 Members... "Reduced Considering Quarantine Measures"

On the 28th, a citizen is paying respects at the national funeral altar for the late former President Roh Tae-woo, set up in front of the main gate of Seoul Library in Jung-gu, Seoul. Following the government's decision to hold a state funeral for former President Roh, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has installed and is operating an altar for the general public from this day until the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] The funeral committee overseeing the state funeral of the late former President Roh Tae-woo has been formed with 353 members.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 28th that the formation of the state funeral committee for former President Roh has been completed. This funeral committee consists of a total of 353 members, including Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum as the chairman, which is about one-sixth the size of the 2,222-member funeral committee for former President Kim Young-sam's state funeral in 2015. The ministry explained, "Considering the COVID-19 quarantine situation, the committee has been significantly downsized compared to previous state funerals, national funerals, and people's funerals."

The vice chairpersons of the funeral committee are two vice speakers of the National Assembly, Kim Sang-hee and Chung Jin-suk, the acting chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, the mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, and six others including Jeong Hae-chang, former chief secretary, and Choi Seok-rip, former head of security, who were recommended by the bereaved family. The executive chairman of the funeral committee is Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Interior and Safety, and the executive members include the ministers of Strategy and Finance, Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Commissioner of the National Police Agency.

The funeral committee members include senior officials from the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, representatives of political parties, local government heads, figures from broadcasting and media, and individuals recommended by the bereaved family. The advisory members of the state funeral committee consist of key figures from the five branches of government, political party leaders, and religious organization representatives. Among the funeral committee members, there are 27 local government-related figures such as metropolitan mayors, local council chairs, and superintendents of education, but there are no local government heads from the Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk regions.

The memorial service for former President Roh will be held at 11 a.m. on the 30th at the Peace Plaza in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. After the memorial service, the late president's remains will be enshrined at Geomdanssa Temple in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.