Thousands line up to pay respects to late Seoul mayor

They praise him for his work in helping the needy, women's rights

A woman grieving at a memorial altar for the late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon at Seoul City Hall Plaza yesterday. Mr Park's body was found in the woods of Mount Bugak in northern Seoul early on Friday, after he was reported missing the day before. It a
A woman grieving at a memorial altar for the late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon at Seoul City Hall Plaza yesterday. Mr Park's body was found in the woods of Mount Bugak in northern Seoul early on Friday, after he was reported missing the day before. It appeared that he had taken his own life. PHOTO: REUTERS

Tears welled up in Ms Yi Bong-mi's eyes as she stood in line in front of Seoul's city hall, among hundreds of others who turned up yesterday afternoon to pay respects to the late mayor Park Won-soon at a memorial altar.

"He devoted his whole life to the people, fighting for the rights of women and the poor, and doing everything he could for the city and the country," Ms Yi, a 46-year-old translator, told The Sunday Times.

"I never imagined he would kill himself. I was very shocked."

Office worker Park Son-hwa, 39, who brought a basket of flowers, cited how, as a human rights lawyer in the 1980s and 1990s, the late mayor had won high-profile cases for women, and how he founded non-governmental groups such as the Beautiful Foundation that promotes philanthropy.

"He had done so much for the people, even before he became Seoul mayor," she told ST. "As mayor, he built the beautiful sky park at Seoul station and had grand plans to overhaul Gwanghwamun Square."

Throughout yesterday, thousands of people queued patiently as they waited for their turn to say goodbye to Mr Park. They wore face masks due to the coronavirus pandemic and kept a decent distance from one another.

Some got on their knees to bow to the city's longest-serving mayor.

During his term, Mr Park promoted gender equality, introduced better welfare schemes and built more green spaces.

The 64-year-old also put Seoul on the world map, winning international accolades such as the 2018 Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize for the city's innovative urban regeneration projects.

People had widely expected him to run for president next in 2022.

Mr Park's daughter reported him missing on Thursday evening, prompting a massive search involving more than 700 officers from the police and fire department. A police dog found his body in the woods of Mount Bugak in northern Seoul early on Friday.

It appeared that he had taken his own life. Mr Park left a handwritten goodbye note saying he was sorry and asking for his ashes to be scattered at his parents' graves.

His death came as a major shock, in the wake of reports that a secretary had filed a sexual harassment report against him the day before he went missing.

The case will be closed upon his death, in accordance with the law.

Fellow politicians mourned Mr Park's sudden departure with condolence messages.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent flowers to Mr Park's private memorial service held at Seoul National University Hospital.

Mr Moon reportedly recalled how their friendship went back to the 1980s, when they studied together at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and became human rights lawyers before joining the ruling Democratic Party (DP). A yellowed photo of the two of them standing together has also surfaced online.

DP chairman Lee Hae-chan paid tribute to Mr Park's accomplishments as a human rights lawyer and in a lifetime dedicated to civic rights.

However, there are also calls online for the sexual harassment case against Mr Park to be reopened so that justice can be served. Some have also protested against the Seoul city government's decision to hold a five-day mayoral funeral for him, with critics questioning the need to use public funds for the funeral.

Ms Park, the office worker, voiced disappointment at the slew of online rumours against Mr Park.

"Now is not the time for a witch hunt," she said. "We should send him off first and then judge if the case is true or not."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on July 12, 2020, with the headline Thousands line up to pay respects to late Seoul mayor. Subscribe