# Kim Min-seok Pays Respects at Wake of Late Choi Hyung-woo, Ally of Kim Young-sam

- URL: https://unnienote.app/en/news/kim-min-seok-visits-choi-hyung-woo-wake-f7d98e
- Published: 2026-10-25T05:49:10.202Z
- Publisher: Unnie Note

> Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok visited the funeral hall of former Home Affairs Minister Choi Hyung-woo on October 25 and called for cross-party reflection on democracy.

## Key points

1. Kim co-chairs the joint funeral committee with People Power Party leader Chang Dong-hyeok.
2. Kim said Choi worked to keep alive the spirit of the 1979 Busan-Masan uprising and the May 18 Gwangju uprising.
3. Kim spent about 30 minutes at the hall and spoke with former Saenuri leader Kim Moo-sung.

## 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.

## FAQ

### Why is Kim Min-seok co-chairing the funeral committee with a People Power Party leader?

Kim said the role reflects a shared root across the two parties in the democratic values Choi and Kim Young-sam pursued.

## Sources

- [Yonhap News](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261025022500001)

_Written and translated with AI from official announcements and Korean media reports. If something is wrong, please let us know._