Various Figures Visit Yoon's Father's Funeral Hall... "He Must Have Passed Away Proudly"

President Yoon Receives Condolence Visitors After 6 PM... Political and Religious Figures Attend
Family Funeral Held for Three Days for State Affairs... Flowers and Condolences Declined
Second Presidential Parental Funeral Since Former President Moon, First for Father

The funeral hall for the late Yoon Ki-joong, honorary professor at Yonsei University and father of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who passed away on the 15th, has been set up at the Shinchon Severance Hospital funeral home. President Yoon will hold a family-only funeral and then depart on the 17th to attend the Korea-US-Japan summit at Camp David in Washington, USA.

On the day, President Yoon entered the funeral hall through a separate entrance rather than the main entrance of Shinchon Severance Hospital funeral home at around 6:11 p.m., and began receiving condolences from 6:20 p.m. The Blue House requested understanding that, as the funeral would be a family-only event, floral tributes and condolences would be declined, but various figures still visited the funeral hall.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is keeping vigil at the funeral hall set up for his father, Yoon Ki-jung, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 15th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Among those who arrived first at the funeral hall were Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi, National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Lee Jin-bok, and Senior Secretary for Public Relations Kim Eun-hye. Following them, cabinet members including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was on vacation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin also visited the funeral home.

Ruling party leaders such as People Power Party Chairman Kim Ki-hyun, Floor Leader Yoon Jae-ok, Secretary-General Lee Cheol-gyu, and Policy Committee Chairman Park Dae-chul were also present. Religious figures including Kim Sam-hwan, senior pastor of Daehan Jesus Presbyterian Church Myeongseong Church, and Lee Young-hoon, pastor of Full Gospel Church, as well as government officials, visited the funeral hall. Notably, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the funeral hall around 7 p.m. and expressed condolences, saying, "Professor Yoon often guided President Yoon, and he must have passed away with a proud heart." He added, "The late Professor Yoon Ki-joong will surely watch over from heaven with great pride," and said, "I hope the summit at Camp David will be a great success."

Former President Lee Myung-bak and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the funeral hall around 8 p.m. but remained reserved in their remarks. Some visitors who came to the funeral hall left after staying briefly in accordance with President Yoon’s wish to decline condolences.

This is the second time during a president’s term that a parent has passed away since President Moon’s mother passed in 2019. It is the first time for a father’s passing. Earlier, Senior Secretary for Public Relations Kim Eun-hye met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office and said, "President Yoon decided to hold a family-only funeral to avoid any government vacuum," and stated that floral tributes and condolences would be declined. A Blue House official added, "Since Professor Yoon spent a long time in academia, there will be minimal condolences from the academic community and acquaintances," and said, "Details of President Yoon’s condolence schedule will be announced later."

President Yoon is scheduled to visit the United States on the 18th to hold a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David. Given the significant importance of the meeting for both Korea and the international order, President Yoon plans to carry out the related schedule as planned despite his father’s passing.

Meanwhile, on the same day, both ruling and opposition parties expressed condolences over Professor Yoon’s passing. Kang Min-guk, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement, "The late was a scholar who laid the foundation of statistics in Korea and also a father who never spared criticism, encouragement, and advice until the current president was who he is today," adding, "We pray for the deceased’s repose and extend our condolences to the bereaved family." Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a signed briefing, "We express deep condolences and sympathy to President Yoon and his family who face great sorrow," and "We pray for the eternal rest of Professor Yoon Ki-joong."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is lighting incense before receiving condolences at the funeral hall set up for his father, Yoon Ki-jung, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, at Sinchon Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 15th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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