S. Korea to bid farewell to late former President Roh

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was set to bid farewell to late former President Roh Tae-woo on Saturday, marking the end of a five-day state funeral for a leader who drew both criticism and praise for his role in staging a coup and then embracing democracy.

Roh, who died Tuesday at age 88, will be given a funeral ceremony at the Peace Plaza at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul at 11 a.m.

His body will be brought from Seoul National University Hospital, where he died of chronic ailments after a bout with prostate cancer, cerebellar atrophy and asthma, and cremated following the ceremony to be laid to rest.

The government has yet to announce where Roh will be buried, although his family has reportedly been looking at a site on Unification Hill in the border town of Paju, 30 kilometers north of Seoul. The tourist and natural attraction was conceived under Roh as part of his administration's efforts to promote peace with North Korea.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, the head of the state funeral committee, is scheduled to deliver a eulogy at the ceremony.

The choice of Olympic Park as the venue has symbolic meaning because it was there that the 1988 Summer Olympics were held successfully during Roh's term.

President Moon Jae-in will be absent from the proceedings as he is currently on a visit to Europe.

His spokesperson earlier said he prayed for the deceased and delivered words of condolences to the bereaved family while noting that Roh had "not a few historical faults" but also achievements.

Roh, who served as South Korea's last general-turned-president from 1988-93, leaves behind a mixed legacy.

He has been heavily criticized for helping his predecessor Chun Doo-hwan seize power through a 1979 military coup and ruthlessly crack down on a pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju the following year.

He has also been praised for restoring the direct presidential vote, through which he was elected, and establishing ties with socialist states in the post-Cold War period, including the Soviet Union and China.

In his will, Roh asked for forgiveness from victims of the crackdown in Gwangju, which, according to conservative official data, left more than 200 dead and 1,800 others wounded.

The government's decision to hold a state funeral was met with protest from critics who claimed the deceased did not deserve the honor. State funerals are paid for by the government.

By law, Roh is not eligible for burial at a national cemetery because he was convicted of crimes, including corruption and mutiny, and served time in prison before being pardoned in 1997.

The deceased is survived by his wife, former first lady Kim Ok-suk, and a daughter and son.

hague@yna.co.kr
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