Who was Choi Hyung-woo?

Choi Hyung-woo was a former Minister of Home Affairs and the longtime right-hand man and political ally of former President Kim Young-sam. He died recently, and his funeral hall was set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital.

What did Kim Min-seok say?

According to Yonhap News, Kim Min-seok visited the hall on October 25 and wrote in the guestbook, "You were a great elder of democracy." Speaking to reporters, he said Choi devoted himself to democratization and worked to preserve the spirit of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. He added that politics since 1987 has aimed to carry that spirit forward, and that it should be a shared root across party lines.

Why are the two parties involved?

Kim is co-chairing the joint funeral committee with Chang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party. Kim explained that the role reflects a shared root between the two parties in the values Choi and Kim Young-sam pursued.

Who else visited?

Kim spent about 30 minutes at the hall and talked with former Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung. Kim said they recalled working together in the Democratic Movement Promotion Council in the past.

For international fans

Kim Min-seok is the leader of the Democratic Party, one of South Korea's two major parties. Kim Young-sam was South Korea's first civilian president elected after decades of military-led governments, and the Busan-Masan uprising and May 18 Gwangju uprising are key events in the country's democratization movement.