Seoul: The leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) expressed condolences over the death of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan on Monday, vowing to carry on his legacy for the nation's democratization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Rep. Jung Chung-rae made the remarks during a meeting of the party's supreme council as he pledged to "open the path toward peace on the Korean Peninsula," describing it as an "unfinished task."
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jung emphasized that the DP will always remember Lee's lifelong dedication to democracy, human rights, and peace in the region. He assured that the party would not neglect the unfinished tasks Lee left behind and promised unwavering reforms and efforts to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Jung described Lee as a symbol of South Korea's democratization and a towering figure for the Democratic Party. He highlighted Lee's role as a "compass" for the party and a "spiritual pillar" of the pro-democracy movement that resisted authoritarian rule in the 1970s and 1980s.
The former prime minister, who had been appointed in October as the senior vice chairperson of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, was responsible for supporting the North Korea and unification policies of the Lee Jae Myung administration. Tragically, he passed away on Sunday in a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City after suffering cardiac arrest.
Lee had arrived in the Vietnamese city on Thursday but collapsed on Friday as his flu-like symptoms worsened. He was taken to a nearby hospital and underwent a stent insertion procedure but unfortunately did not survive.