Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul will visit the graves of two former presidents, including controversial former dictator Park Chung-hee, the veterans ministry said Thursday, following through on his pledge to honor past leaders regardless of political differences.
Kwon was set to attend a memorial ceremony later in the day marking the 20th anniversary of the death of Choi Kyu-hah, the 10th president, from December 1979 to August 1980, at the Daejeon National Cemetery and pay his respects, according to the ministry.
Choi assumed office following the assassination of Park in October 1979 and resigned under pressure from then Army Gen. Chun Doo-hwan, who took power through a military coup. Choi is the shortest-serving president in post-Korean War history.
Kwon plans to visit the Seoul National Cemetery on Monday and pay tribute to Park, the ministry said.
Kwon's moves are considered rare, as paying respects to controversial past leaders like Park has often drawn criticism, especially from the liberal bloc.
Kwon, a Cabinet member in the liberal Lee Jae Myung government, has expressed a commitment to honoring former presidents regardless of political background, saying their service to the nation deserves recognition beyond political ideologies.
Kwon said earlier he "personally" wants to, but will not for now, pay respects to the late former President Roh Tae-woo, who served from 1988-93, sparking pushback from some liberal politicians. Roh was Chun's right-hand man in the 1979 military coup.
Both Roh and Chun were later convicted and imprisoned for their roles in the coup and corruption, before being released under presidential pardons. (Yonhap)
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