Park Yong-ha laid to rest

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Staff reporter

Rain fell persistently as grieving entertainers, colleagues and family of the late Park Yong-ha bid a tearful farewell to the top star during his funeral, Friday.

The cortege left the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital early Friday morning to a cremation site after a private Buddhist service with family and friends.

Park's father, battling cancer and his mother, shocked by her son's sudden death did not attend the ceremony.

Park hung himself at his home Wednesday and the police concluded that the top "hallyu" star, distressed over his career and his father's illness, committed suicide on an impulse.

Actor So Ji-sub, one of Park's closest friends, led the funeral procession, carrying a smiling portrait of Park.

The procession went to the Yeouido and Mok-dong areas, where major broadcasting stations are located, and Hapjeong-dong, the actor's childhood home. Lastly, the funeral cortege visited Park's home.

Park's remains were buried at Bundang Memorial Park in Gyeonggi Province.

Many colleagues who are entertainers and had worked with Park came to his funeral. Actors Park Hee-soon, Kim Moo-yeol and Ryu Si-won, actresses Kim Min-jeong and Park Si-yeon and singer Kim Won-joon attended a ceremony at the burial site.

Some 300 fans from Korea and Japan also stayed to the last moment.

"Park has become a star in the far sky and we cannot see him anymore. But we will always remember you and love you," said Lee Hee-jung, an official of Yona Entertainment owned by Park, in a memorial address.

고 박용하 성남 메모리얼 파크에 영면

금요일, 비가 줄기차게 내리는 가운데 슬픔에 잠긴 故 박용하의 유가족과 동료 연예인들은 장례식장에서 눈물의 하직인사를 했다.

이른 아침 유족과 동료들은 불교식 장례절차를 마친 후 운구 행렬을 따라 성모병원을 나와 장지로 떠났다. 암으로 투병중인 고인의 아버지와 아들의 죽음으로 충격을 받은 어머니는 화장행사에 참여하지 못했다.

故 박씨는 수요일 자택에서 스스로 목을 메 자살했다. 수사당국은 “한류스타”라는 명함에서 오는 스트레스와 부친의 병에 대한 고뇌로 인해 순간적으로 자살을 결심한 것 같다고 결론지었다.

동료연예인 류시원, 김민정, 박시연, 김원준과 일본 팬을 포함한 300여명의 국내외 팬들이 화장장까지 함께 했다. 고인의 유해는 경기도 분당 메모리얼파크에 안치됐다.