The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Sat, July 2, 2022 | 17:03
Koreans Flock to Mourn Death of Cardinal
Posted : 2009-02-17 10:49
Updated : 2009-02-17 10:49
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down

Catholics look at photos of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who passed away Monday evening, on their way out of Myeongdong Cathedral after attending Mass there Tuesday. / Korea Times

Hundreds of South Koreans flocked to Seoul's landmark cathedral Tuesday, offering their prayers to Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, the country's first cardinal who stood with the people in the pro-democracy movement of the 1980s, Yonhap News reported Tuesday.

Kim, who was promoted to the rank of cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1969, died at Seoul's St. Mary's Hospital Monday evening at the age of 86. He was said to have died peacefully, surrounded by family and members of the parish.

Kim's body was laid in a glass coffin at the Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul late Monday. The church has been drawing crowds of faithful wanting to pay their last respects and catch a glimpse of the man who had been their spiritual leader for decades.

The cathedral will be open to all citizens, including non-Catholics, for four days until Friday when a funeral mass will be held, officials at the Archdiocese of Seoul said.

President Lee Myung-bak, a Protestant, called Kim's death a "great loss to the nation," praising the cardinal's symbolic role in the country's democratic and labor movements, Yonhap said.

South Koreans remember Kim not only as their first Roman Catholic cardinal but also as an ardent supporter of democracy who unreservedly stood up against the authoritarian governments that reigned here from the 1960s through the 80s.

During his sermons, Kim often outspokenly criticized the governments of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan for suppressing student activists and labor unions.

In 1987, he hid dozens of anti-government student activists at the Myeongdong Cathedral and told authorities who came to arrest them, "You'll be able to get to the students only after you get past me, the priests and the nuns."

Kim was born to a poor family in the southeastern city of Daegu in 1922 as the youngest son of eight children. His family's Catholic faith was considered unusual at the time in the traditionally Confucian society, with Catholicism being first introduced to the peninsula as late as 1784. Kim's grandfather died in prison after being persecuted for his religion.

Kim was the Archbishop of Seoul from 1968 until 1998 and also showed devotion to North Korean churches and their congregations. He established an inter-Korean religious organization in 1995, in hopes that religious persecution would one day cease in the North and the two nations would reunify.

Kim's death leaves Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk as the only remaining South Korean cardinal. Cheong succeeded Kim in 2006.

Kim's eyes were donated to two patients awaiting cornea transplants, per his final wishes.

 
LG
LG
  • 'Crypto rebound will be more powerful than stocks'
  • Negative views of China among Koreans hit all-time high: survey
  • Bodies of child, parents found in vehicle recovered from water
  • Economic Essay Contest for University Students
  • Yoon dismisses China's claim that Korea is joining NATO's Indo-Pacific expansion
  • 1,000 people evacuated from building in central Seoul after tremor
  • Baemin, Coupang Eats scramble to retain delivery drivers
  • Ruling party's odd man out
  • Yoon heads home after attending NATO summit in Spain
  • North Korea blames balloons from South for COVID-19 outbreak
  • Korean studies struggles to grow despite success of K-pop, K-dramas Korean studies struggles to grow despite success of K-pop, K-dramas
  • [INTERVIEW] Bae Suzy shows another side in 'Anna' [INTERVIEW] Bae Suzy shows another side in 'Anna'
  • Korea's 1st queer romance reality show to hit air July 8 Korea's 1st queer romance reality show to hit air July 8
  • [INTERVIEW] Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps [INTERVIEW] Filmmaker points lens at North Korea's political prison camps
  • Naver Webtoon launches horror-themed playground in metaverse Naver Webtoon launches horror-themed playground in metaverse
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group