Bereavement of Mother, An Hee-jung: "I Will Take Good Care of My Mother and Return"

Mentor Beopryun Sunim Receives First Visitors on 6th
Condolence Flowers from President Moon and Speaker Park
Lee Nak-yeon and Others Visit Funeral Hall to Offer Comfort

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] The day after the passing of the mother of former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, condolences from ruling party figures continued. Ahn, who is serving time at Gwangju Prison, was temporarily released and stayed at the funeral hall from 3 a.m. on the 6th. Ahn was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison by the Supreme Court for sexually assaulting and molesting Kim Ji-eun, who worked as his personal secretary. The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office decided to suspend Ahn's sentence execution until 5 p.m. on the 9th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Arriving at the funeral hall of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, around 3 a.m., former Governor Ahn told reporters, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see my mother. I will take good care and return." He changed from the khaki T-shirt provided to inmates by the Ministry of Justice to black mourning clothes and came out to the lobby around 5:50 a.m., saying to supporters, "Thanks to your concern, I was able to come out. Thank you."

Ruling party figures visited the funeral hall from the morning. The first mourner of the day was Venerable Beopryun, known as Ahn's mentor, who paid respects around 7 a.m. Following him, Kim Yoon-duk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited. Former National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang also came to the funeral hall around 10:43 a.m. After paying respects, former Speaker Moon said, "I conveyed words of consolation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Nak-yeon, a Democratic Party lawmaker representing Jongno-gu, where the funeral hall is located, visited the funeral hall with lawmaker Oh Young-hoon around 10:50 a.m. After paying respects, Lee told reporters, "I expressed my condolences, saying it must be very painful." He added, "I have a connection with former Governor Ahn as we worked as governors during the same period. I was the spokesperson for the late President Roh Moo-hyun's presidential campaign in 2002, and Ahn was part of the support staff working together." Ahn replied to Lee, "Thank you for your condolences."

Former Governor Ahn, dressed in mourning clothes, personally saw off the mourners. His son also occasionally came outside to see off visitors. Condolence wreaths and funeral flowers sent by Song Ha-jin, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, and Kim Hong-jang, Mayor of Dangjin, arrived one after another at the funeral hall.

Inside the funeral hall, wreaths from President Moon Jae-in, National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan, Democratic Party floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon, the late President Roh Moo-hyun's wife Kwon Yang-sook, and Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group, were placed. Pro-Roh figures such as former Blue House Social Policy Secretary Min Hyung-bae also sent condolence wreaths. Wreaths from Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Kim Kyung-soo, Governor of Gyeongnam Province; Lee Si-jong, Governor of Chungbuk Province; and Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, who served as governors alongside former Governor Ahn, were also notable. Wreaths from Democratic Party lawmakers such as Ki Dong-min, Seo Young-kyo, Hong Young-pyo, and opposition lawmakers like Choi Seung-jae lined up outside the funeral hall.

On the first day of condolences, the 5th, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Governor Kim Kyung-soo of Gyeongnam Province, and National Intelligence Service Director nominee Park Jie-won visited the funeral hall. Democratic Party lawmakers including Yoon Ho-jung, Lee Kwang-jae, Park Yong-jin, Kim Boo-kyum, Baek Won-woo, and former lawmaker Lee Kyu-hee also paid their respects.

Former lawmaker Kim said, "(Former Governor Ahn) is going through many difficult circumstances, and having to endure this as well, it is only natural to come. We need to encourage and console each other." Lee In-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker and Ahn's university junior, also said after paying respects that day, "My father also passed away while I was serving a prison sentence. My heart is very heavy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.