Pres. Park offers condolences to the deceased Kim Young-sam

Pres. Park offers condolences to the deceased Kim Young-sam. November. 27, 2015 07:09. mhpark@donga.com.

President Park Geun-hye bowed three times when the coffin of the late President Kim Young-sam was borne out on Thursday. Unable to attend the funeral at the National Assembly due to high fever and cough, President Park watched the former president`s funeral cortege leave Seoul National University Hospital for 10 minutes. She had visited the hospital Monday and offered her condolences to the deceased for about seven minutes.

Standing by a funeral car in a black coat and trouser suit, President Park gave a nod as the coffin and portrait of Kim approached. When the coffin was loaded into a funeral car, she bowed again to the bereaved family including his second son, Kim Hyeon-cheol, expressing her respect to the fallen president.

“It is regretful that I’m not able to attend the funeral as I have another schedule to go overseas trip soon. May he rest in peace,” the president told the junior Kim who responded, “I appreciate that you have come in spite of your poor health condition. That is very thoughtful of you.”

As the car was driving out of the hospital, she bowed again to pay her last respect to the deceased former president, watching the funeral procession was completely out of sight. “We are grateful for your visit out of bad health condition,” the bereaved family of the late president expressed their appreciation.

In 1979 when former President Park Chung-hee died, the then opposition leader Kim Young-sam offered his condolences and watched his coffin leave for the funeral.

Up until Thursday morning, President Park expressed her willingness to attend the funeral, requesting her advisors to give the deceased the respectful treatment to the last moment. As her tonsil and face were getting swollen with high fever, her schedule was rearranged in a way that she only attended to watch his coffin leave the hospital.

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae has cancelled all her schedule until Sunday as the president will have to fly long-distance again to attend United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21).