Former President Ryu Woo-ik's Chief of Staff and 24 MB Government Officials Accompany
Former President Lee Myung-bak will pay tribute at the Cheonan Ship Memorial at Daejeon National Cemetery as his first official schedule after his pardon. Twenty-four government officials from that time, including former Presidential Chief of Staff Ryu Woo-ik, will accompany him.
On the morning of the 22nd, former President Lee will lay flowers and incense at the Memorial Tower, then pay respects at the Cheonan Ship 46 Warriors Memorial, Lieutenant Han Joo-ho’s grave, the Yeonpyeong Island shelling victims’ memorial, and the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong fallen soldiers’ memorial. The Cheonan Ship sinking incident occurred in 2010 during Lee Myung-bak’s administration.
This is former President Lee’s first official schedule since being pardoned in the special New Year pardon of December last year. It is also his first visit to a national cemetery in five years since his visit to the Seoul National Cemetery on January 1, 2018.
Twenty-four officials from the Lee Myung-bak administration accompanied him on this visit, including former Presidential Chief of Staff Ryu Woo-ik, former Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong Jeong-gil, former Special Minister Lee Jae-oh, former Minister of Justice Lee Gui-nam, former Minister of Unification Hyun In-taek, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Jeong Dong-gi, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations Kim Du-woo, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations Hong Sang-pyo, and former Blue House Director of General Affairs Jang Da-sa-ro.
After leaving office, former President Lee visited the Cheonan Ship memorial annually until March 2018, when he was incarcerated. His office stated, "At the time of the 2010 Cheonan Ship sinking, former President Lee promised not to forget the noble sacrifice of the soldiers and to visit the fallen soldiers’ memorial every year until unification is achieved." They added, "When former President Lee was incarcerated and could no longer keep this promise, he asked his aides and ministers who worked with him to keep the promise on his behalf."
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