S. Korea holds state funeral for late ex-president Roh Tae-woo

[Photo by Press Corp.]

A five-day state funeral is being held for late former South Korean president Roh Tae-woo until Saturday, but he will not be laid to rest at the country’s National Cemetery. Roh, the country’s first directly elected president who served from 1988 to 1993, died on Tuesday at the age of 88 after suffering with chronic illness for years. He is credited for normalizing ties with former communist states including China and Russia but also blamed for his core roles in the 1979 military coup and the 1980 Gwangju army massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators. Condolences have been paid by politicians, business leaders and citizen, including a member of 1980 civilian militia.

[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]