Former Environment Minister Choi Jae-wook Passes Away... Last Survivor of the Aung San Terror Attack

Yonhap News

Choi Jae-wook, former Minister of Environment who survived the Aung San bombing in North Korea, passed away around midnight on the 17th at the age of 84. Choi had been battling a stroke for the past two years.

Born in 1940 in Goryeong, Gyeongbuk, he graduated from Gyeongbuk High School and Yeungnam University with a degree in law, then worked as a reporter for the Dong-A Ilbo.

In October 1983, he accompanied former President Chun Doo-hwan on a Southeast Asia tour and was caught in the Aung San mausoleum bombing in Myanmar. He was one of the 15 official aides waiting on the stage at the bombing site for the president's arrival.

He served as president of the Kyunghyang Shinmun from 1986 to 1987, was elected as a national representative of the Democratic Justice Party in the 13th general election in 1988, and won the Daegu Dalseo-eul district seat as a candidate of the Democratic Liberal Party in the 14th general election in 1992. He served as Minister of Environment from 1998 to 1999 and as Minister of Government Coordination in January 2000.