By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
People mourned the death of the former President Kim Dae-jung Tuesday, with local governments and various organizations setting up memorial altars across the nation.
The government canceled several events while people reminisced over the days when he was the godfather of the pro-democracy movement in the country and a great leader who fought authoritarianism.
Seoul City canceled its opening ceremony of an observatory platform at Gwangjin bridge. "We thought it is the best way to pay our condolences to the former head of state," spokesman Chung Hyo-sung said.
In the southwestern Jeolla region, where Kim had a strong political base, people were shocked at the news. The Gwangju and the South Jeolla Provincial governments decided to establish memorial altars.
Twenty-eight-year-old housewife Cho Min-hee said his death was like the end of an era. "Born in Gwangju, I was always surrounded by his legacies and was taught about his dedication for democracy. My family has been talking about his being ill for the past several days, and the news of his death struck me hard," she said.
Kim was seen as a barrier-breaker. Lee Hye-young, a 40-year-old worker at Gwacheon Government Complex, said, "He was the first President from an 'opposition party' in almost 50 years of the nation's politics. Even though his achievement as a pro-democracy fighter was a bit faded after he became President and his aides were involved in political power struggles, he was the someone who brought change."
"Kim's becoming President was also a momentum for South Korea to get closer to the North," she said.
Bae, a university professor, said time will tell what an amazing person he was. "He had his good and bad days, showed his character and flaws. He was a human and people will remember him as a good one," he said.
Jang, a school teacher in North Jeolla Province, said Kim was a great example to Korean society. "We need him now when the real communication among citizens, the administration and politicians is scarce. A big star is gone," he said.
"Two former presidents ― Roh Moo-hyun and Kim ― who had laid the foundations for a democratic society in Korea passed away this year. We need to accept this as a signal we have paid the price of chaos while we were realizing democratization. This is a time for us to enter into a matured democratic society," said Song Ho-keun, social studies professor at Seoul National University.
The Gwangju chapter of the ruling Grand National Party and the opposition Democratic Party stated their grief over the loss of a pro-democracy fighter. "He has always shown us the way to strive for true democracy. It would have been better if he had survived to see the real reconciliation between different regions and political parties," the GNP said.