Roh Tae-woo Served Time for Treason: Will His Funeral Be a State Funeral?
이 글자크기로 변경됩니다.
(예시) 가장 빠른 뉴스가 있고 다양한 정보, 쌍방향 소통이 숨쉬는 다음뉴스를 만나보세요. 다음뉴스는 국내외 주요이슈와 실시간 속보, 문화생활 및 다양한 분야의 뉴스를 입체적으로 전달하고 있습니다.
[경향신문]
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.”
Copyright © 경향신문. 무단전재 및 재배포 금지.
- 윤 대통령의 계속되는 거부권 행사···‘본인·가족 방탄 거부권’, ‘변화’ 요구한 총선 민심
- 홍준표 “초짜 당 대표는 가망 없어···애한테 굽실거리기보단 새살림”
- [전문] ‘음주운전 시인’ 김호중, 은퇴 아닌 복귀 시사···“돌아오겠다”
- 국민의힘 유의동 “채 상병 특검법 ‘찬성’···받을 때 얻는 게 잃는 것보다 많다”
- ‘해외 직구’ 문제로 불거진 오세훈-한동훈-유승민 기싸움, 숨은 전략은?
- 직구 금지, 대통령 몰랐다?···야권 “대통령 패싱인가, 꼬리 자르기인가”
- “국장 떠납니다”···2연속 하한가 ‘HLB’에 신뢰 무너진 코스닥시장
- 조국 “대통령 거부권, 폭탄주 퍼마시듯 사용하는 권한 아냐”
- 검찰, 오늘 ‘김건희 여사 명품백 고발’ 백은종 서울의소리 대표 조사
- [단독] 지자체 수요 반영한 맞춤형 임대주택 도입···올 하반기 공모