The Funeral Hall for the Late Seo Se-won Set Up in Seoul... Memorial Visits Continue

On the 20th, the funeral hall at Seoul Asan Medical Center, where the late broadcaster Seo Sewon, who suddenly passed away in Cambodia, was laid to rest, has been receiving a continuous stream of visitors paying their respects. At the funeral hall, about 30 wreaths sent by singer Kim Heung-guk, Seol Woon-do, various broadcasting stations and entertainment companies, and figures from various fields who had connections with the deceased were also placed.

The funeral hall for the late Seo Se-won, a broadcaster-turned-entrepreneur, was set up on the 30th at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps [Image source=Yonhap News]

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In the portrait photo, Mr. Seo is seen smiling brightly, dressed in a white dress shirt, light gray jacket, and a bow tie. Seo’s funeral is being held as a Korean Comedian Association Chairman’s Funeral, and as condolences began on the afternoon of the 30th, senior comedians who had worked with the deceased in broadcasting were the first to visit the funeral hall.

Um Young-soo (70), president of the Comedian Association, recalled his connection with the deceased, saying, "When I debuted, Seo Sewon was already a star. From 1981 to the following year, we worked on several corners together, which was an honor for me." He added, "During the one and a half years I worked with Seo Sewon, I learned everything I needed to learn in the entertainment industry," and said, "He was the textbook for comedians. The fact that comedians host variety shows would not have been possible without Seo Sewon."

Comedian Lee Yong-sik (71) reportedly visited the funeral hall to pay his respects but headed straight to the airport due to an overseas schedule.

Lee Cheol-woo, governor of Gyeongbuk Province, also visited the funeral hall that day. The deceased once visited Kimcheon, Gyeongbuk, to support Governor Lee, who ran in the 2008 general election, and was investigated by prosecutors. It is known that the deceased maintained a friendship with Governor Lee thereafter.

The deceased effectively retired from the entertainment industry after the early 2000s. Aside from several announcements about film production, there were no notable entertainment activities, and he was also ordained as a pastor. After moving to Cambodia in 2016, it was reported that he transformed into a businessman.

The names on the electronic board at the funeral hall included the remarried spouse Kim and three children, including daughter Dong-joo, as well as the names of a nephew and daughter-in-law. The name of Seo Jeong-hee, who divorced during his lifetime, was not listed.

Earlier, the family attempted to transport Seo’s body back to Korea, but due to the poor conditions of the local mortuary in Cambodia, it was difficult to preserve the body intact, so it was cremated locally on the 28th. Seo passed away on the 20th while receiving an IV at a Korean hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Seo’s funeral procession will take place at 8 a.m. on May 2, and the burial site is the Rainbow Memorial Park in Eumseong, Chungbuk.

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