South Korea’s veterans minister plans tributes to former presidents Choi and Park
Kwon Oh-eul is due to attend a memorial for Choi Kyu-hah on October 22 and visit Park Chung-hee’s grave on October 26, Yonhap reported.
South Korea’s veterans minister, Kwon Oh-eul, plans to honor two former presidents at national cemeteries, beginning with a memorial for Choi Kyu-hah in Daejeon on October 22. Yonhap reported that the ministry announced the plans, which also include a visit to Park Chung-hee’s grave in Seoul on October 26. The tribute to Park matters politically because honoring the former dictator has drawn criticism from the country’s liberal bloc.
Kwon was due to attend a ceremony at Daejeon National Cemetery marking 20 years since Choi’s death and pay his respects there, according to Yonhap’s account of the ministry’s announcement. The visit to Park at Seoul National Cemetery was scheduled for the following Monday. Both were announced as planned visits; Yonhap’s report did not establish that either had taken place.
Why tributes to Choi and Park carry political weight
Choi served as president from December 1979 to August 1980, after Park was assassinated in October 1979. He resigned under pressure from Army Gen. Chun Doo-hwan, who seized power in a military coup, Yonhap reported. Choi’s brief presidency places the two planned tributes on either side of a turbulent transition in South Korea’s political history.
Park remains a controversial figure, and Yonhap described official tributes to leaders like him as rare because they have attracted criticism, particularly from liberals. Kwon is a minister in President Lee Jae Myung’s liberal government. He has said former presidents’ service should be recognized regardless of their political backgrounds, according to Yonhap.
Kwon’s position on honoring Roh Tae-woo
Kwon has drawn pushback from some liberal politicians over another former president, Roh Tae-woo. He said he personally wanted to pay respects to Roh but would not do so for now, Yonhap reported. Roh served as president from 1988 to 1993 and was Chun’s right-hand man in the 1979 coup. Both men were later convicted and imprisoned over their roles in the coup and corruption, then released under presidential pardons.
The ministry’s English profile identifies Kwon as minister of patriots and veterans affairs and says he took office on July 25, 2025. The planned cemetery visits put his stated approach to commemorating former leaders into public view while the dispute over honoring figures tied to military rule continues.
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Sources and context
- Veterans minister to pay tribute to 2 late former presidentsYonhap News Agency
- Minister — Kwon Oh-eul profileMinistry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.