President Park Geun-hye may not attend this week’s state funeral for former President Kim Young-sam unless her condition improves, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday.
Park’s cold symptoms have worsened, along with an accumulated fatigue, after a recent three-nation swing to attend a string of annual summits with regional leaders.
On Sunday, Park skipped both lunch and dinner due to a tight schedule in Malaysia, the third and last stop on her 10-day tour, according to the presidential official.
The official said it may be “difficult for Park to attend the state funeral unless her condition improves as the outdoor ceremony could last for more than an hour amid cold weather.”
The funeral is set to be held on the grounds of the National Assembly on Thursday before the former president is laid to rest at the National Cemetery in southern Seoul, near his home.
Cheong Wa Dae canceled all of Park’s appointments this week that had been scheduled to be held outside of the presidential office.
Park offered her condolences to Kim’s bereaved family while visiting a hospital in Seoul on Monday, hours after she returned from the trip.
Kim fought against military rulers for decades and laid the groundwork for a peaceful power transition in a country rife with military coups.
He died at age 87 on Sunday. (Yonhap)
