9-term lawmaker dies

Park Jun-gyu

Park Jun-gyu, a former National Assembly speaker, died Saturday from a chronic ailment. He was 89.

Park served as a lawmaker in the fifth through 10th, 13th and 15th National Assemblies, and served as the parliament’s speaker three times.

He was active as a politician for 40 years, after joining the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in 1948. He became a lawmaker of the Democratic Party in 1960, but was banned from running for office following the military coup in 1979.

He rejoined the Assembly in 1988 as a member of the Democratic Justice Party.

Park is recognized as one of only three former lawmakers to serve nine terms. The other two are former President Kim Young-sam and former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil.

His funeral will take place today at 8 a.m. and he will be laid to rest in Daejeon National Cemetery.