Temporarily Kept at Home for Nearly Four Years
It has been reported that a plan is being considered to enshrine the remains of former President Chun Doo-hwan at his private residence, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of his death this coming November.
According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the 14th, Chun's family is discussing the possibility of permanently enshrining his remains in the yard of his house in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. His remains have been temporarily kept at his home in an urn for about four years.
The funeral procession for former President Chun Doo-hwan is taking place at the Severance Hospital funeral hall in Sinchon, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. November 27, 2021. [Joint Coverage] Yonhap News Agency
Former President Chun Doo-hwan cannot be buried in a national cemetery, as he was convicted and sentenced to prison for crimes such as insurrection in connection with the December 12 Military Coup and the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
For this reason, Chun's family, including his wife Lee Soon-ja, had sought to bury him on a hill overlooking North Korea near the Military Demarcation Line in Munsan-eup, Paju, in accordance with Chun's memoirs, in which he expressed his wish to "remain as a skeleton on a front-line hill overlooking the North and greet the day of reunification." However, strong opposition from local residents prevented this plan from being carried out.
Since then, Chun's family has reportedly been unable to secure a burial site.
Yeonhui-dong Residence, Where Lee Soon-ja Resides
On the morning of the 24th, the second day of former President Chun Doo-hwan's funeral, his wife Lee Soon-ja entered the funeral hall at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where the deceased's wake was held. 2021.11.24 [Joint Coverage] Yonhap News Agency
As nearly four years have passed since Chun's death without securing a burial site, his family is now reportedly considering the yard of the Yeonhui-dong residence as the enshrinement site for his remains.
In 2021, the government filed a lawsuit to confiscate the Yeonhui-dong residence, claiming it was Chun's property held under a borrowed name. However, in February of this year, the Seoul Western District Court dismissed the case, stating that the claim to collect criminal proceeds had expired upon Chun's death. The government has appealed, and the second trial for the confiscation lawsuit will be held at the Seoul High Court on November 20. Of Chun's total outstanding criminal fines of 220 billion won, approximately 86 billion won have yet to be collected.
Chun's wife, Lee Soon-ja, currently resides at the Yeonhui-dong residence. Former presidents and their families are entitled to protection from the Presidential Security Service for ten years after leaving office, with a possible five-year extension if necessary. After this period, security duties are transferred to the police. At the Yeonhui-dong residence, a dedicated police security team is stationed around the clock.
According to data submitted to Assemblyman Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea by the National Police Agency, the budget allocated to the dedicated security team last year was 22.45 million won.
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