Yoon Returns to Father's Funeral After Preparing for Korea-US-Japan Summit Meeting

Important Meaning of International Order and Minimizing Government Vacuum
Political Circles Stop Political Strife and Join Mourning Procession
Yoon Shows Special Affection, Naming Father as First Mentor

President Yoon Suk-yeol, on the second day of the funeral for his late father, Professor Yoon Ki-jung, Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, on the 16th, checked the preparations for the trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States, and Japan before returning to the funeral hall. To minimize any gaps in state affairs, he chose a family-only funeral and declined condolences from government officials, indicating his intention to manage state matters even during the mourning period.

According to the Presidential Office, President Yoon, who received condolence visitors from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. the previous day, went to the Yongsan Presidential Office in the morning to prepare for the trilateral summit scheduled for the 18th. In the afternoon, he attended the encoffining ceremony at the funeral hall of Sinchon Severance Hospital and received condolences. This meeting holds significant importance not only for Korea but also for the international order, reflecting President Yoon’s determination to carry out related schedules despite his bereavement.

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 the Presidential Office
Image source: Yonhap News

On the previous day around 6:11 p.m., President Yoon entered the funeral hall at Sinchon Severance Hospital through a separate entrance rather than the main entrance and began receiving condolences from 6:20 p.m. 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, visited the funeral hall. Both ruling and opposition parties paused political disputes to express their condolences to Professor Yoon. Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, along with floor leader Yoon Jae-ok, Secretary-General Lee Cheol-gyu, Policy Committee Chair Park Dae-chul, and other party leaders, as well as Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the funeral hall with their leadership teams to mourn the deceased and console President Yoon. Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, was scheduled to visit the funeral hall in the afternoon.

Condolences from former presidents also continued. Former President Lee Myung-bak visited the funeral hall around 8 p.m. with his wife Kim Ok-yoon and former Blue House aides. Former President Moon Jae-in sent a floral tribute and expressed condolences by calling Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi. Former President Park Geun-hye also sent a floral tribute to express her condolences. Clergy from seven major religious denominations, including Christianity, Buddhism, and Won Buddhism, as well as government officials, visited the funeral hall. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the National Election Commission Noh Tae-ak, Chairman of the Presidential Committee for National Unity Kim Han-gil, former Chairman of the Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development Kim Byung-joon, Chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council Kim Moon-soo, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon were also seen paying their respects.

President Yoon is known to have a particularly close father-son relationship with Professor Yoon, whom he regarded as his “first mentor.” Professor Yoon, who was evaluated by fellow scholars and students as a “principled person,” was known for educating President Yoon sometimes strictly and sometimes affectionately. President Yoon’s admission to Seoul National University Law School was also encouraged by Professor Yoon. After passing the entrance exam for Seoul National University Law School, Professor Yoon gifted President Yoon Milton Friedman’s “Freedom of Choice” and read Kim Ji-ha’s poem “Five Bandits” to him. On the other hand, during his presidential candidacy, President Yoon appeared on a TV program and, when asked if he was often scolded by his father, he smiled and said, “I was scolded a lot for not studying and playing around.” It is also known that Professor Yoon warmly welcomed President Yoon when he left the prosecutor’s office in 2002 to work at a large law firm for a year before returning to the prosecution, urging him repeatedly not to accept illicit money. In December 2021, during his presidential candidacy, President Yoon appeared on his YouTube channel and shared an episode of cooking for his parents, recalling, “My father told me to run a restaurant after quitting public office.”

Even after his election, President Yoon was often seen with his father. On April 2, 2021, President Yoon supported Professor Yoon and visited an early voting station for the April 7 by-elections, saying, “My father’s strength is not what it used to be, so I brought him along.” After his inauguration, on July 12 last year, President Yoon invited Professor Yoon to the Yongsan Presidential Office, introduced him to his office and workspaces, and had dinner together. On the previous day, immediately after delivering the congratulatory speech at the 78th Liberation Day ceremony, President Yoon moved to Seoul National University Hospital, where Professor Yoon was hospitalized, and stayed by his side until his passing. According to a Presidential Office official, Professor Yoon’s last words to President Yoon were “Thank you for growing up well.”

President Yoon Suk-yeol's father, Professor Emeritus Yoon Ki-jung of Yonsei University, passed away on the 15th. On the same day, the Presidential Office released a photo showing President Yoon hiking with Professor Yoon during his childhood.
[Photo by Presidential Office]

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