Former ROK president laid to rest
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Honour guard soldiers and workers lowers the coffin of the late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung into the ground during his burial at a state funeral at the National Cemetery in Seoul yesterday. Reuters |
SEOUL: The Republic of Korea (ROK) people bid farewell to ex-President Kim Dae-jung at a state funeral held at the National Assembly yesterday.
The service, which started at 2 pm (3 pm Beijing time), marks the second "state funeral" held in the nation, following that of former President Park Chung-hee.
A state funeral is the highest form of tributes given in the nation, for which the government covers the full expense.
Some 30,000 people gathered at the nation's parliament to attend the service, the largest crowd ever, the ROK's Yonhap News Agency reported.
Among the attendants were ROK President Lee Myung-bak, First Lady Kim Yoon-ok, and former president Kim Young-sam, as well as politicians and foreign delegates.
The funeral service, starting as the funeral car preceded into the funeral site early yesterday afternoon, lasted about an hour after various ceremonies, including memorial addresses and religious rituals, were given to commemorate the late president.
After the funeral service, the motorcade carrying the coffin of the late president headed for the Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul, the place where Kim's body was laid.
On Kim's final route, the funeral car made short stopovers at Kim's private home in Donggyo-dong, western Seoul, and the Seoul Plaza in front of the Seoul City Hall.
The ROK's main opposition Democratic Party, meanwhile, prepared for a cultural event at the Seoul Plaza to commemorate the late president, for which the funeral parade was halted briefly.
Former first lady Lee Hee-ho expressed gratitude to the people at the plaza, urging them to secure reconciliation and peace as the late president emphasized.
The motor car carried on to its final destination, arriving at the National Cemetery at around 5:00 pm.
After the burial ceremony, the body was laid close to his predecessors, Park Chung-hee and Rhee Seung-man, for good.
Kim died of pneumonia-related complications on Tuesday after he was admitted to a Seoul hospital on July 13.
The funeral service came after a six-day mourning period, during which praise and condolence for the late president came from all over the world.
President Lee Myung-bak, earlier upon paying a condolatory visit to Kim, called him a "great political leader."
"His work and desire for democracy and national reconciliation will be remembered by the people for years to come," Lee said.
Expressing his sadness by the passing of Kim, US President Barack Obama said Kim "played a crucial role in establishing a dynamic democratic system in the Republic of Korea."
Xinhua - Reuters
(China Daily 08/24/2009 page7)
