(LEAD) Ex-President Park expresses intention to attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony: official

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 4 paras)

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Former President Park Geun-hye has expressed her intention to attend President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony next month, the chief of the inauguration preparatory committee said Wednesday.

The committee chief, Park Joo-sun, said the former president expressed her willingness when he visited her at her home in the southeastern city of Daegu and delivered a letter from Yoon and an official invitation to the May 10 ceremony.

"I believe I should offer my congratulations as the new government starts," the former president was quoted as saying. "Given my current health condition, it is a little pressure for me to travel more than three hours, but I will try to get over it through exercise and rehabilitation."

Asked whether the remark can be understood as her confirmation to attend the ceremony, Park Joo-sun said it can be interpreted that way.

Earlier this month, Yoon visited Park's home and invited her to the inauguration ceremony. Park then said she was not sure whether she could attend it due to her health condition.

In regard to whether Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the inauguration ceremony, Park Joo-sun said Yoon's delegation in Tokyo has delivered an intention to invite Kishida, but has yet to receive an answer.

The inauguration preparatory committee earlier said about 41,000 people will be invited to the ceremony that will take place at a plaza in front of the National Assembly.

Park Joo-sun said in a CBS radio interview the preparatory committee plans to invite family members of former presidents. However, it has tentatively decided not to invite the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung, who competed against Yoon in the presidental race, saying that there has never been a case of inviting election rivals and the move could be seen as bad etiquette since it could remind Lee of the defeat.

Park rejected criticism of holding an "extravagant banquet" for distinguished guests, after the committee selected a luxury Seoul hotel as the venue for a post-ceremony event.

"It is a political attack," he said. "Hosting the banquet at a hotel only costs 500,000 won (US$395) more than holding the event at a reception room in Cheong Wa Dae."

The committee had originally planned to hold the banquet at Cheong Wa Dae's reception hall, but since Yoon pledged to fully open Cheong Wa Dae to the public on his inauguration day, it had to change the location, Park added.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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