Crowd jeers President Lee Myung-bak as he pays his respects to Roh

Posted on : 2009-05-30 12:03 KST Modified on : 2009-05-30 12:03 KST
DP Lawmaker Baek Won-woo asks Lee to apologize while others shout, “You are a murderer”and“Don’t touch him!”
 Cheong Wa Dae guards restrain Lawmaker Baek Won-woo’s for shouting “President Lee Myung-bak should apologize” at the public funeral service held for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun
Cheong Wa Dae guards restrain Lawmaker Baek Won-woo’s for shouting “President Lee Myung-bak should apologize” at the public funeral service held for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun

“President Lee Myung-bak! Apologize!”

A resentful shout erupted during the public funeral service held for the former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun at Kyungbok Palace in Seoul on May 29.

The opposition Democratic Party Lawmaker Baek Won-woo rushed out from the row of front chairs and yelled at President Lee and his wife when they tried to place flowers on the altar. The President and First Lady appeared embarrassed as they looked around. Baek continued to yell for Lee to apologize while being dragged away by Presidential Security Service guards. Kim Hyun, a former Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) spokesperson during Roh’s administration and other mourners also shouted, “Apologize!”and “Don’t touch him!” Some of the guests cried out,“You are a murderer”to President Lee. Roh’s associates, including Kang Geum-won, a longtime Roh supporter, burst into a rage of tears. The Master of Ceremonies had to ask the guests to calm down. After the disturbance had settled, President Lee looked around to find a chrysanthemum to place on the altar and was handed a flower by a bodyguard.

National Assembly members Baek and Kim Hyun sobbed for some time, embracing each other. Baek was permitted to take his seat, but was unable to stop crying. After the funeral service, Congressman Baek, who had served as an aide for the late President, said to a reporter, “President Roh's death was the result of political retaliation by President Lee Myung-bak.” He emphasized, “I believe I must talk about the source of President Roh’s death.” Baek also said, “I would like to make public that President Lee has suppressed the democracy and reform that Roh supported and represented. President Lee is anti-democracy and anti-reform.”

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