The Greatest Intellectual of Our Time Who Returned After Giving a Shining Gift

Morning of the 2nd, Funeral Ceremony of the Late Former Minister of Culture Lee O-ryeong
Hwang Hee: "Established the Foundation of Cultural Policy and Opened a New Era"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"I want to return the shining gift I received. I am going back to the place where it originally was." The funeral procession for the late Lee O-ryeong, the first Minister of Culture, who passed away on the 26th of last month, was solemnly held at 8 a.m. on the 2nd amid mourning from his family and figures from the cultural and artistic community. The funeral service praying for the repose of the deceased was led by Pastor Kang Tae-wook of Yeouido Full Gospel Church, the deceased's nephew. After the service, Kang In-sook, the director of the Youngin Literature Museum and the deceased’s wife, looked at the portrait and said a final farewell to her husband once again. The portrait of the deceased, wearing a gentle smile, and the memorial tablet were carried by grandsons Su-beom and Jeong-beom.

The farewell ceremony took place at 10 a.m. the same day at the National Library of Korea, proceeding in the order of a moment of silence, a report on the deceased’s biography, a eulogy, and a memorial address. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee, who delivered the eulogy, said, "The late Minister, who served as the first Minister of Culture, laid the foundation for cultural policy in a cultural wasteland and opened a new era. We will deeply engrave his will and legacy in our hearts and become the well bucket and fire poker to carry on his breath."

After the flower offering and incense burning, professors and students from the Korea National University of Arts, which the deceased founded, performed a memorial concert. Expressing sorrow and gratitude for seeing him off, they played Gabriel Faur?’s "?l?gie" and the funeral chant "To the one who molded the soil of this land and made the pottery of culture."

About 250 people attended the farewell ceremony, including family members, Lee Chae-ik, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Park Jeong of the Democratic Party’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Kim Seung-su of the People Power Party’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Lee Byung-hoon of the Democratic Party’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, former Ministers of Culture, Sports and Tourism Song Tae-ho, Shin Nak-gyun, Kim Seong-jae, Kim Jong-min, Yoo In-chon, Jeong Byeong-guk, Park Yang-woo, members of the National Academy of Arts, heads of public cultural and artistic institutions, and figures from the cultural and artistic community, who all accompanied him on his final journey.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the funeral with the rank of Minister of Culture to honor and pay respect to the deceased, who served as Minister of Culture, established the Korea National University of Arts and the National Institute of the Korean Language, and laid the foundation for library development policies. Additionally, considering his lifelong dedication to writing as a literary figure and his significant role in library development, the farewell ceremony was held at the National Library of Korea, a symbol of intellect.

Born in 1933 in Asan, Chungnam, the deceased debuted as a literary critic in 1956 and worked as a writer, journalist, cultural administrator, and scholar. He served as the first Minister of Culture (1990?1991) during the Roh Tae-woo administration and was active as a member of the National Academy of Arts. Although cancer was discovered in 2017, he did not undergo chemotherapy and devoted himself to writing until the end.

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