On the 25th, the day after the death of former Minister of the Interior Choi Hyung-woo, the 'right hand man' and political comrade of former President Kim Young-sam (YS), condolences continued to be paid at the funeral from political figures regardless of the ruling and opposition parties.
Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the funeral hall of Samsung Seoul Hospital on the same day to pay his respects and told reporters, "Former Minister Choi was a person who made a great dedication to democratization and tried to revive the spirit of the Democratic Uprising and May 18." He added, "We must reflect together beyond the ruling and opposition parties so that we can honor the roots of democratization."
After paying condolences with party leaders, including floor leader Jeong Jeong-sik, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk told reporters, "He accumulated many achievements as a politician and minister, and made a lot of efforts for political democratization in the political history of the Republic of Korea. I will follow the wishes of the deceased and work harder to make better politics that makes the people smile."
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also visited the funeral and said, “He was a role model for our generation.” He added, “I remember Kim Young-sam, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, as he served the president of the Democratic Party, and that he silently walked the path to democratization with perseverance and perseverance during those difficult and dark times.”
YS's second son, Kim Hyun-cheol, chairman of the Kim Young-sam President Memorial Foundation, recalled, "Minister Choi fought for democracy with my father for a long time and shared real life, death and ups and downs. After the new military government came into power, my father was put on pension and all Democratic Party members at that time were tied to politics and the law. Nevertheless, Minister Choi broke through the soldiers and entered Sangdo-dong."
He added, "My father and I shed a lot of tears and said, 'We fought so hard for the democratization of our country, but we are so disappointed that the new military Chun Doo-hwan regime came into power again.' At that time, my father said, 'All you need is Onsan (former Minister Choi's nickname).'"
'YS's alter ego' Kim Deok-ryong, chairman of the Kim Young-sam Democracy Center, said, "Rep. Choi was the person who helped President Kim Young-sam as his closest associate to the extent that he was often referred to as Kim Dong-young on the left and Choi Hyeong-woo on the right."
Senior politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties reminisced about the days when YS and former Minister Choi were in good standing, and criticized the desolate state of politics today.
Former Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-seong of the Sangdo-dong faction, who guarded the funeral following the previous day, said, "During the past military dictatorship, when we were fighting for democratization, it was truly a pitch-black, dark night-like situation," and reminisced, "The deceased was the kind of person who played a big role in supporting our camp with strong leadership that stood out better than anyone else."
At the same time, he said to Representative Kim Min-seok, who visited the funeral, "At that time (during the democratization movement), Donggyo-dong and Sangdo-dong were one family, but now the camps have split, the warm affection has disappeared, and politics have become too harsh."
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who met former Minister Choi as a reporter when he was a reporter, said, "When the YS government came into power, (former Minister Choi) became the Minister of Home Affairs, and at that time, reporters called to say that they should eat rice cake soup at our house on January 1st, and my wife made 500 bowls of rice cake soup. Until then, eating rice cake soup at JP (President Kim Jong-pil)'s house was a common thing that everyone knew." He added, "I went to JP late in the afternoon and he said, 'Where did you eat rice cake soup?' “He said, ‘Go,’” he recalled.
He went on to say, “The ruling and opposition parties are now enemies of enemies,” and “Sangdo-dong cooperated while competing. Those adults will be so ignorantly pathetic when they see politics now.”
Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-gyeom said, “Our generation is always grateful (to the deceased) for encouraging and protecting those in opposition, especially those from the student movement.”
When reporters said, "The ruling and opposition parties have gathered in one place," former Prime Minister Kim said, "In a way, that is the nature of politics, but the fact that it looks awkward now means that our politics are not in the right place." He added, "You can have conservative and progressive values, but that does not mean you take any responsibility for the future of this clear community called Korean society, and if you only criticize the other side, it is not normal politics."
He added, “I was envious of adults’ politics.”
At the funeral on this day, political elders from the Donggyo-dong community and pro-Roh and pro-Park (pro-Park Geun-hye) groups also paid condolences, including Han Gwang-ok, former chief of staff to President Kim Dae-jung (DJ), former National Assembly Secretary-General Yoo In-tae, who is considered to be the original 'pro-Roh' (pro-Roh Moo-hyun), former Grand National Party leader Seo Cheong-won, former President Park Geun-hye's chief of staff Heo Tae-yeol, and former Busan mayor Moon Jeong-soo, chairman of the April 19 Revolution Meritorious Persons Association.
Condolences were also given by people from the business and religious circles, including People Power Party figures Joo Ho-young, Kim Ki-hyun, Na Kyung-won, and Kim Hee-jung, New Reform Party lawmaker Lee Jun-seok, Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Jung-geun, and Buddhist monk Beopryun.
According to the Kim Young-sam Democracy Center, about 680 people paid their respects the day before, and including attendants, more than 1,000 people came here. About 1,000 people are expected to pay their respects on this day as well.
Former Minister Choi's funeral will be held for three days and the funeral is scheduled for the 27th. The deceased is laid to rest at the National April 19th Democratic Cemetery.
Kwon No-gap, chairman of the Donggyo-dong faction and chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation, Sangdo-dong faction chairman Kim Deok-ryong, and constitutional chairman Jeong Dae-cheol served as funeral committee chairs.
Virtually all members of the People Power Party National Assembly were named on the funeral committee.
