By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter
Former President Roh Moo-hyun returned to his hometown of Bongha before dawn on Saturday, but people continued to stream to altars in the village and Deoksu Palace in Seoul Sunday ㅡ even after seven days of mourning that drew more than 5 million people.
The remains of the late head of state were put to rest at Jeongtowon, a Buddhist temple behind his home in Bongha, at 1.40 a.m. Saturday. About 2,000 villagers and supporters greeted the return of his remains that were contained inside a wooden urn.
From early morning Sunday, a lot of mourners turned out to burn incense or lay white chrysanthemums at the altars. At Deoksu Palace, a stream of people continued to pay respects to Roh, though the long line and numerous notes and ribbons surrounding the palace were no longer there.
However, people with black ribbons pinned to their chests were again hanging yellow balloons and ribbons around the wall.
On one balloon a man wrote, ``I will live honestly and sincerely for you. And I'm sorry.''
Identifying himself as Goo Jin-taek, 37, he said, ``I came here from Asan City in Gyeonggi Province to pay respects to Roh. It's a historical event, so I also wanted to take some pictures for records.''
He said he has been neither a supporter nor an opponent of Roh. But he criticized the police for destroying and trampling Roh's altars overnight. ``I don't understand. Even a layman's altars should not be destroyed. How could they destroy the altars for a former president?''
Civic group members set up another makeshift altar, while preserving what had been destroyed beside the new one.
A few foreigners were also paying their respects to Roh.
Joe Gomba, an American teacher at Gimhwa Girls' Middle School in Chulwon, said he came all the way from Gangwon Province to pay homage to Roh.
``I'm here to show that even someone from another country understands the sense of loss that Korean people are feeling,'' he said. ``I'm here to demonstrate that even people who disagree with one another should show respect.''
Gomba, who majored in politics and described himself as a conservative, said he respects Roh because he fought for minorities.
``I respect the leaders who fight for the poor and people who feel left out. I don't know much about Korean politics. But I think Roh was one of the leaders who fought to change politically and economically,'' he said.
Commenting on the trampled altar by the police, Gomba added, ``There is an old saying: Never speak ill of the dead.''
A volunteer who is helping manage the altar said it will be preserved for the next 49 days in line with the Buddhist rite ``49-je.'' Buddhists believe that the soul of a dead person is reincarnated after 49 days.
``Many people want the altar to remain as it is. We believe people will continue to turn out to mourn here,'' said the volunteer, who identified himself only as Park and is in his 30s. ``We are going to maintain the altar for the next 49 days. But I'm afraid the police might use force to destroy it again.''
Police plan to disperse people if the mourning ceremony turns into an anti-government demonstration.
``We are going to allow them to hold a peaceful mourning rite, but it if turns into any political rally, we will take action to disperse them,'' a police officer said.
The remains of Roh will be buried at a place in the mountains near his home after the ``49-je.''