Bush to join memorial service for late President Roh

Ruling DPK party leader Lee Hae-chan, center in the front row, and senior party officials sing a song on the sidelines of their participation in an event in downtown Seoul, May 18. to commemorate the death of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Korea Times file

By Kim Yoo-chul

Former U.S. President George W. Bush will attend a memorial service at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, today, marking the 10th anniversary of the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun.

Bush will present a portrait he painted of the late president to Roh's wife Kwon Yang-sook, which will be exhibited at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation. In return, she will give Bush a “special present” featuring the carved features of Bush and Roh.

“As presidents, Roh and Bush had different views on issues such as North Korea, but they had an intimate personal relationship,” ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan said during a party meeting.

The memorial event will start at 2:30 p.m.

Since his retirement in early 2009, Bush has painted portraits of world leaders he met during his presidency and exhibited them. Bush and the late President Roh were sometimes described as “bedfellows” while they were presidents ― Bush was the U.S. leader from 2001 to 2009 and Roh's counterpart from 2002 to 2007.

During this period, Seoul dispatched troops to Iraq and signed a bilateral free trade agreement. However, Washington and Seoul relations were strained in handling the North as Bush supported a “hardline stance” toward Pyongyang, while Roh pushed for an engagement policy.

Ten years ago, Roh committed suicide by leaping to his death from a cliff behind his house. He was 62. His killed himself allegedly because of an investigation into a bribery scandal that severely tarnished his reputation.

Key figures from the DPK who will attend the memorial include Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, alongside lawmakers from the country's minor opposition parties.

President Moon Jae-in, who served as a chief of staff to Roh, will not participate, but senior aides who will be present include presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk, and SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun, alongside regional governors.

However, main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn and former Welfare Minister under the Roh administration Rhyu Si-min, also head of the foundation, will not attend due to personal reasons.

The late President Roh is widely-remembered as going to great lengths to dispel the country's “authoritarian legacy,” and instill democratic values. But his economic policies failed to stabilize property prices and cut economic polarization, which resulted in him losing his political support base.