Choi Tae-won, Lee Jae-hyun, Ban Ki-moon... Memorial Visits
"Left Great Achievements in Korea's Economic Development"
"Pioneer of Technology Management and Founder" Condolences
The funeral hall for the late Cho Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of the Hyosung Group, located at Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, saw a continuous stream of condolences from political and business figures on the 1st as they came to pay their last respects.
Park Chan-gu, Chairman of Kumho Petrochemical, was the first corporate leader to visit the funeral hall around 9:20 a.m. His son, Park Jun-kyung, President of Kumho Petrochemical, accompanied him. They stayed for about 20 minutes to console the bereaved family.
CJ Chairman Lee Jae-hyun is paying his respects at the funeral hall of Honorary Chairman Cho Seok-rae of Hyosung, set up at Seoul Sinchon Severance Hospital on the 1st, and is talking with reporters. [Photo by Joint Press Corps]
Lee Jae-hyun, Chairman of CJ Group, arrived at the funeral hall at 10:51 a.m. After paying his respects, he said upon leaving, "It is truly regrettable to see off such an outstanding business leader who contributed greatly to the national economy," and added, "I pray for the deceased’s peace."
Following him, Lee Woong-yeol, Honorary Chairman of Kolon, who visited the funeral hall, recalled the deceased as "an extraordinary person, a star in the textile industry."
SK Chairman Chey Tae-won is entering the funeral hall of Honorary Chairman Cho Suk-rae of Hyosung, set up at Seoul Sinchon Severance Hospital on the 1st. [Photo by Joint Press Corps]
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, visited the funeral hall at 11:51 a.m. and stayed for about 20 minutes. He mourned the deceased, saying, "He was a pioneer in technology management in South Korea and was also very skilled in private diplomacy."
On the previous day, through the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s website, Chairman Choi expressed, "Our business community is overwhelmed with grief upon hearing this sudden and sorrowful news," and added, "Losing such an excellent leader at a critical time when the economy must leap forward again is a great loss not only to the business community but to our society as a whole."
Chung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae, is visiting the funeral hall of Jo Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of Hyosung, set up at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul on the 1st. [Photo by Joint Press Corps]
Jung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, visited the funeral hall at 11 a.m. and stayed for about 30 minutes. He left the hall after embracing Cho Hyun-sang, Vice Chairman of Hyosung Group and the chief mourner. When asked by reporters about his relationship with the deceased, he did not respond. Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha, also visited around the same time and consoled the bereaved family for about 20 minutes.
Jung Il-taek, President of Kumho Tire, visited the funeral hall in the afternoon. In an interview immediately after paying respects, he said, "Hyosung had the best technology related to tire materials, and through this, the company was developed into the world’s top enterprise," adding, "It is regrettable that a person who made such a great contribution to the development of the tire industry has passed away."
Kim Jae-chul, Honorary Chairman of Dongwon Group, recalled the deceased as "a person rich in creativity and fluent in foreign languages, who made significant contributions not only to the industrial sector but also in diplomatic relations."
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is paying his respects at the funeral hall of Cho Seok-rae, Honorary Chairman of Hyosung, set up at Seoul Sinchon Severance Hospital on the 1st, and is seen talking with reporters. [Photo by Joint Press Corps]
The procession of condolences from political and government figures continued.
Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General, visited the funeral hall in the morning. He said, "Although I am a junior, he cooperated a lot with me and played a significant role in the economic development of our country, especially in Korea-US economic relations," adding, "The government needs to closely consult and cooperate with economic leaders, encourage the business community, and the business community also needs to contribute to government politics and security issues. Cho, the honorary chairman, was one of those essential figures for our country’s development."
Ahn Duk-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited the funeral hall and paid tribute, saying, "As the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, I came to pay my respects to the founder who understood our country’s industry early on. There are also mixed feelings as the generation changes, so I came to visit and pay my respects."
Yoon Jin-sik, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, said in an interview after paying respects, "When I was at the Blue House, he was the chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, so we had many professional conversations," adding, "He left an enormous legacy for the development of the Korean economy. I wish he had lived longer to accomplish even more, which is very regrettable."
In addition, the funeral hall was visited by Lee Woo-hyun, Chairman of OCI; Park Yong-sung, former Chairman of Doosan Group; Yoon Se-young, Chairman of Taeyoung; Heo Tae-soo, Chairman of GS Group; Heo Yong-soo, President of GS Energy; Park Ji-won, Chairman of Doosan Enerbility; Cho Dong-gil, Chairman of Hansol; Hong Young-chul, Chairman of Korea Steel; Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; and Lee Dong-kwan, former Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, among others, who all paid their respects.
Cho, the honorary chairman who led the group for 35 years since 1982, passed away on the 29th of last month at 6:38 p.m. at the age of 89. The funeral will be held as a five-day funeral, with the farewell ceremony on the 2nd of next month. Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-gu is serving as the honorary funeral chairman, and Lee Sang-woon, Vice Chairman of Hyosung, is the funeral chairman overseeing the proceedings.
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