Widow of SKorean dictator issues apology over brutal rule
The widow of South Korea’s last military dictator has issued a brief apology over the “pains and scars” caused by her husband’s brutal rule as dozens of relatives and former aides gathered at a Seoul hospital to pay their final respects to Chun Doo-hwan.
S Koreans send off former President Roh in small funeral
Pandemic restrictions limited the size of funeral services for Roh, who died Tuesday at the age of 88 from complications from various illnesses. Roh’s wife, Kim Ok-suk, and two of his children, Roh Soh-young and Roh Jae-heon, sat quietly in chairs distanced apart, looking solemnly at the ground. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Roh leaves a “complicated legacy” but credited him for solidifying South Korea’s democratic transition as president. He was a major player in a December 1979 military coup that brought his longtime army friend Chun to power. Roh had been Chun’s hand-picked successor, but massive pro-democracy protests in 1987 forced them to accept a direct presidential election, which initiated South Korea’s transition toward democracy.
wftv.com