The Funeral Hall of the Late Bae Eun-sim, the 'Mother of the Streets,' Receives Waves of Condolences from All Walks of Life

Mourners Stare Blankly at Portrait... Actor Kang Dong-won from Movie 1987 Also Present

President Moon Jae-in and Presidential Candidates Pay Respects, Lee Jae-myung Wishes "Peace and Eternal Rest"

On the 9th, the funeral hall at Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju Metropolitan City was set up as the mourning place for Bae Eun-sim, the mother of the late martyr Lee Han-yeol.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters reporters Park Jin-hyung and Jo Hyung-joo] On the afternoon of the 9th, the first incense altar was set up at the funeral hall of Chosun University Hospital for Bae Eun-sim, the mother of the late martyr Lee Han-yeol, who devoted her entire life to democracy, continuing her son's unfinished will.

People from all walks of life who wished to accompany the late Mrs. Bae on her final journey came continuously.

Mourners, with faces full of grief and sorrow, offered flowers and incense and bowed in front of Mrs. Bae’s portrait.

Even after paying their respects, they stayed for a while, silently watching Mrs. Bae’s portrait and wiping away tears.

Visitors included not only members of the May 18 organizations but also politicians, civic groups, and ordinary citizens from various sectors.

The lobby was filled with condolence flags and funeral wreaths sent by celebrities and organizations, leaving no empty space.

Actor Kang Dong-won, who played the role of the late martyr Lee Han-yeol in the 1987 democracy movement film “1987,” also came alone and could not hide his sorrow.

Kang said, “I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t come earlier,” and added, “I feel very sorry and my heart is heavy,” struggling to find words.

After offering incense, Kang shared a meal with other mourners and sat together with Rep. Woo Sang-ho, who was in charge of the funeral, and former Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Kang Ki-jung, engaging in conversation.

Around 8:20 p.m., Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, visited the funeral hall to pay tribute to the late who dedicated himself to the democracy movement.

Candidate Lee solemnly looked at the altar in the incense hall where condolence wreaths from President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum were placed.

He knelt, lit incense, placed it in the incense burner, and bowed his head toward the portrait. He also firmly held the hands of the bereaved family, offered words of comfort, and then left.

As Candidate Lee was heading toward the dining area after paying respects, someone urgently stopped him. It was a representative from the National Democratic Bereaved Families Association, urging him to work hard for the enactment of the Democratic Merit Act, which the late had wished for during his lifetime.

The association representative raised their voice, saying, “The late passed away with a grudge.” Given the solemn occasion, Candidate Lee respectfully bowed and left.

Candidate Lee sat with Rep. Song Gap-seok, Rep. Lee Hyung-seok, and Mayor Lee Yong-seop of Gwangju, talked about the deceased for about five minutes, and then stood up.

Later, he told reporters, “She must have lived with the pain of burying her child in her heart all her life. I hope she rests peacefully, leaving the affairs of this world to us.” He did not leave a separate message in the guestbook.

Earlier, around 4:40 p.m., President Moon Jae-in also visited the funeral hall, and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Justice Party presidential candidate Shim Sang-jung also paid their respects.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bae collapsed due to a myocardial infarction and underwent emergency surgery. After being discharged, she collapsed again in the early morning of the day and was taken to the hospital but ultimately passed away. The funeral will be held as a three-day “Democratic Society Funeral.”

The standing funeral committee chairpersons are Han Dong-geon, chairman of the Lee Han-yeol Memorial Project Association; Jang Nam-su, chairman of the National Democratic Bereaved Families Association; and Park Bong-joo, co-representative of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Memorial Solidarity.

Representatives of participating organizations and the Yonsei Democratic Alumni Association are organized as joint funeral committee chairpersons.

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