S. Koreans bid final farewell to Roh, ill-fated liberal leader

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- Nearly two months after the suicide of former
President Roh Moo-hyun, tens of thousands of South Koreans flocked again to his
provincial hometown Friday to attend the burial ceremony of the liberal late
leader.

TV footage, broadcast live on several local stations and Internet sites, relayed
images of long lines of mourners encircling ceremonial sites at Roh's
southeastern hometown of Bongha and elsewhere across the nation from early
morning. Yellow balloons, symbolizing the color Roh used in his 2002 presidential
campaign, covered the road leading up to a Buddhist sanctuary in Bongha, some 450
kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The liberal leader took his life on May 23 at the age of 62 amid a pressing
corruption probe that tarnished his legacy as an anti-corruption fighter. He
served as the country's leader from 2003 to 2008.
The burial ceremony in Bongha, taking place 49 days after Roh's death, was led by
Ven. Boseon, a senior member of the Jogye sect, the nation's largest Buddhist
order. It was attended by Roh's relatives and scores of his closest confidants
including former Prime Ministers Han Myung-sook and Lee Hae-chan.
Roh's ashes were to be buried near his house with a "humble gravestone" as he
requested in a note left to family before his death, his aides said.
"I still feel he is with us and can't really take in the fact that he is gone,"
said Moon Kook-hyun, chairman of the minority Renewal of Korea Party, who arrived
in Bongha early Friday. "I wish for him to rest in peace."
Thousands of mourners have been praying for Roh at memorial sites across the
nation as part of a 49-day Buddhist rite meant to soothe the spirit of the
deceased. Koreans traditionally believe that the spirit of the deceased remains
with the living for 49 days following his or her death, after which their fate is
determined.
Roh leapt to his death from a mountainside precipice above his provincial
hometown in May, expressing emotional stress over the months-long corruption
investigation that sent several of his aides and relatives to jail. In April, he
became the third former president in the nation to undergo a prosecution probe.
Despite allegations his family received millions of dollars from a local
businessman, Roh's death led to an outpouring of grief by South Koreans. Surveys
show that a majority of South Koreans believe the probe into Roh was unusually
harsh. His supporters flooded Internet sites with accusations that the incumbent
Lee Myung-bak launched a politically-driven investigation.
A self-taught human rights lawyer and left-wing politician, Roh strove during his
time in office to undo the polarization of wealth, authoritarianism and
regionalism that have plagued South Korea, while also pushing for reconciliation
with North Korea.
Separate ceremonies were held at major Buddhist temples and churches in Seoul and
other regions, attended by high profile politicians as well as ordinary citizens
who could not travel to Roh's hometown.
Meanwhile, tensions were escalating among Roh supporters and authorities as
police banned a service led by a local civic group scheduled in Seoul later in
the evening.
"We are concerned the ceremony may turn violent and chaotic with so many events
taking place in central Seoul today," an unnamed police officer explained.
Hwang Il-kwon, among the organizers of a makeshift altar dedicated to Roh located
outside Seoul's Deoksu Palace, called the ban "anti-democratic."
"I cannot understand why the police are so keen to call a peaceful religious
ceremony illegal and political. We will hold the event as planned," he said.
Memorial events were expected to continue late into Friday night as organizers
said more than 5,000 citizens will be attending the ceremony in central Seoul
despite the police ban.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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