Park leaves for Singapore to attend funeral of Lee Kuan Yew

BUSAN, March 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye left for Singapore on Saturday to attend the funeral ceremony of the city state's founder, Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee, who is credited with transforming a port city into a thriving global finance and trade hub during his 31-year-old rule, died Monday at the age of 91.

Park is set to attend a state funeral set to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday and console his bereaved family, including Lee's son, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, according to her office.

It would be the first time for Park to attend a funeral of an overseas political leader since she took office in 2013.

Park, who had known Lee personally, has offered her deep condolences over the death of Lee, whom she called a friend of South Koreans.

In 1979, Park served the role of the first lady when her father, then President Park Chung-hee, held talks with Lee in Seoul. The junior Park served as a stand-in first lady after her mother, Yook Young-su, was killed by a pro-North Korean gunman from Japan in a failed assassination attempt on her father.

The junior Park also served as the interpreter in a post-summit banquet her father hosted for Lee.

She also met Lee on a visit to South Korea in May 2006 and visited the city state at his invitation in July 2008.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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