Roh Tae-woo Served Time for Treason: Will His Funeral Be a State Funeral?

[경향신문]

On the afternoon of October 26, when former President Roh Tae-woo died, a picture showing the former president appearing in court for the sentencing in an appellate trial on the December 12 coup d’etat and the May 18 uprising along with former President Chun Doo-hwan in 1996 is on display at an exhibition hall inside the May 18th National Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Yonhap News

On October 26, former president, Roh Tae-woo died, and now attention is on whether his funeral will be held as a state funeral. Cheongwadae withheld announcing its position saying, “A state funeral is possible.”

According to the State Funeral Act, when a former or incumbent president or a person respected by the people for his/her notable contribution to the country or society dies, the minister of the interior and safety can recommend a state funeral. The recommendation is reviewed in a cabinet meeting and the president makes the final decision on whether to hold a state funeral. A state funeral can last up to five days. During this period, all flags fly at half mast. The prime minister serves as the chair of the funeral committee, and the minister of the interior and safety oversees the execution. So far, the funeral of former President Kim Young-sam in 2015 was the only one held as a state funeral.

Roh is not qualified for a state funeral according to the bill on the honorable treatment of former presidents, because he was sentenced to imprisonment for violently suppressing the May 18 Gwangju Uprising and for concealing slush funds. But the government explained that a history of imprisonment was not sufficient grounds to disqualify a former president from a state funeral. This day, Chief of Staff Yoo Young-min appeared at a parliamentary inspection before the House Steering Committee and when Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yoon Young-deok asked about Roh’s funeral service, he answered, “A state funeral is possible.” Yoo said, “Forfeiting privileges (of former presidents) is not stipulated as a reason to dismiss a state funeral. But we need to follow procedure,” and added that further discussions would follow.

Whether the former president will be buried in the Seoul National Cemetery is also uncertain.

Roh, who served time in prison for treason, is excluded from the list of people who can be buried in the national cemetery, according to the Act on the Establishment and Management of National Cemeteries. Although he was later released on a special pardon, this does not fulfill the requirement to cancel the disqualification. However, a burial review board, which has the final authority, can make a political decision to allow Roh’s burial in the national cemetery after considering his accomplishments during his term in office. This day, the bereaved family of the former president said, “He (the late Roh) wanted his funeral to be as modest as possible according to the state law,” and added, “We are discussing the details of the funeral with the government, and we are considering a burial in Paju, where the Unification Park, which he created when he was president, is located, according to the wishes of the deceased.”

This day, Democratic Party lawmakers Jo O-seop and Yoon Young-deok, who represent constituencies in Gwangju, held a press conference and announced, “As one of the people responsible for the May massacre, he has yet to be convicted by history. In this situation, benefits in the form of a state funeral and a burial in the national cemetery, just because he was a former president, are out of the question.”