YONHAP NEWS

Roh's funeral set for Friday at Seoul's ancient palace: official

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- The funeral of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun will take place at Gyeongbok Palace in downtown Seoul on Friday morning, a committee of private and government officials handling his public funeral service said Monday.

   "Government officials and representatives of the Roh family have reached an agreement to hold the late Roh's funeral in the front courtyard of Gyeongbok Palace at 11 a.m. on May 29," Han Myeong-sook, a co-chair of the public funeral committee, told reporters.

   "With parts of the palace now under repair, details of the funeral will be finalized tomorrow," said Han, who had served as prime minister during the Roh presidency, which ended in February 2008.

   Roh, who was 62, jumped to his death off a mountainside near his rural home in Gimhae, about 450 km southeast of Seoul, on Saturday morning. He was under investigation over allegations that he and his family took millions of dollars in bribes from a local businessman known to be a financial supporter of the former president.

   Several hundreds of thousands people have already visited the altars set up at Roh's home village, Bongha, and other places throughout the nation to mourn his death.

   Gyeongbok ("Shining Happiness") Palace, the main and largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), is located right in front of the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae.

   Han made the remark after meeting with Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Dal-gon and other government officials to discuss detailed funeral procedures.

   Earlier in the day, the Roh family asked the government to hold the funeral in Seoul instead of Bongha Village in the country's southeast.

   "We concluded it is desirable to hold the service in Seoul so as many people as possible may take part in the funeral," said Cheon Ho-sun, a spokesman for Roh's family.

   Roh's family agreed on Sunday to hold a "people's funeral" instead of a private service, following a seven-day mourning period. Under the current law, South Korea's former and incumbent heads of state are entitled to a state or people's funeral. The latest people's funeral was held in the palace for late former President Choi Kyu-ha in 2006.

   After the funeral service, Roh will be laid to rest near his residence in Bongha Village, said Cheon, who served as senior presidential secretary for public information during the Roh presidency. In a note that Roh left before his death, he asked that his body be cremated and a small stone monument be set up in his home village.

   ycm@yna.co.kr
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