The late former President Roh Moo-hyun’s burial ceremony gets underway at his hometown of Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, 49 days after his death. Citizens came to the ceremony to pay homage to the late President in front of the “very small gravestone” built in accordance with Roh’s wishes. / Korea Times Photo by Oh Dae-geun |
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The late former President Roh Moo-hyun was buried in his hometown of Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, 49 days after his death.
Roh's family members and dozens of his former aides held a Buddhist ceremony at Jeongtowon Temple near his residence early in the morning.
The ceremony was held according to the Buddhist belief that the soul of a dead person is reincarnated 49 days after death and that the bereaved family's prayers during the period lead the soul to transmigrate to a better future life.
The former President leapt to his death from a cliff near his home on May 23 under pressure from an investigation into alleged bribery involving his family, aides and himself.
During the two-hour-long ceremony, participants recited Buddhist scriptures. Ven. Semin of Jogye Temple preached a sermon to wish for Roh's peaceful passage into eternity.
Major temples across the nation held ceremonies at the same time for the late former President.
A memorial event was held at a plaza near the burial site. Singers, poets and actors gave performances to pay tribute to the ex-head of state.
After the ceremony, Roh's son carried the urn from Jeongtowon to the grave at the foot of Mt. Bonghwa.
Religious rites were followed by a flower offering and incense burning by his family, former National Assembly speakers Kim Won-ki and Lim Chae-jung, former prime ministers Han Myeong-sook and Lee Hae-chan, chairmen of political parties and representatives of civic groups. Fourteen citizens who had special ties with Roh also paid tribute.
Roh's son put the white porcelain urn in a lotus flower-shaped stone case, which was then put in a square marble box. The box was put in a stone coffin along with eight DVDs, which were a record of his five-year presidency and footage of citizens' memorial services held in the lead-up to his funeral.
The coffin, covered with the national flag ``taegeukgi,'' was buried along with a steel plate on which was inscribed, ``The last stronghold of democracy is awakening citizens' systematized power.''
Instead of a grave mound, a 2-meter-wide, 2-meter-long and 40-centimeter-high broad and flat rock was put in place in accordance with Roh's desire to ``set up a very small gravestone.'' On the rock was engraved ``President Roh Moo-hyun.''
The urn, stone case, marble box, coffin and gravestone were collected or donated from all around the country to memoralize his pursuit of ``balanced development of the country.''
After the ceremonies were over, citizens were allowed to pay tribute. Thousands of people holding yellow ribbons and balloons ―Roh's symbolic color ― bade farewell to him.
In downtown Seoul, citizens held a memorial ceremony in front of Deoksu Palace where a memorial altar has been set up since Roh's death.
About 500 people held religious rites there around 3 p.m., and thousands of citizens gathered for a cultural ceremony in the evening, even though police did not permit the gathering, citing possible violence.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
