Sangmin Lee's Quiet Mother's Funeral Without Even Setting Up a Mourning Hall... Heading to Jamboree Site After Farewell Ceremony

Even Ministry of the Interior and Safety Employees Realize It Late

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min experienced the loss of his mother on the 1st but reportedly held a quiet funeral without setting up a mourning hall. It is said that immediately after the funeral procession on the 3rd, Minister Lee will visit the Saemangeum site in Buan-gun, Jeonbuk, where the World Scout Jamboree is being held, to manage the situation regarding heatstroke patients.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Sang-min Lee. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 3rd, the minister’s mother passed away on the 1st. A ministry official stated, "Minister Lee decided to hold a ‘quiet funeral’ because the suffering of flood victims from the recent heavy rains has not yet subsided, and announcing the bereavement during a nationwide heatwave and vacation season could cause inconvenience and trouble to many people. He judged that setting up a mourning hall would inevitably reveal the news of his mother’s passing, so he persuaded his family not to issue an obituary and did not set up a mourning hall."

Previously, Minister Lee also quietly held a family-only funeral for his father-in-law’s passing in December last year without informing the public.

Minister Lee returned to his post as Minister of the Interior and Safety on the 25th of last month following a Constitutional Court decision. On the 1st, the day he lost his mother, he visited various departments at the Government Sejong Complex Central Building to greet colleagues and participated in a commemorative tree-planting event at 3 p.m. He completed his full workday and left work, so even ministry staff were unaware of his bereavement.

After the memorial service for his mother on the 3rd, Minister Lee plans to visit the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree site to oversee the situation regarding heatstroke patients. On the day of the funeral procession, he also prepared and immediately ordered the implementation of countermeasures for heat-related illnesses at the Saemangeum World Jamboree.

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