The Defense Ministry said Monday that a memorial service marking the 37th anniversary of former President Park Chung-hee's death will be held at the Seoul National Cemetery on Wednesday.
Hosted by the memorial foundation for the late president, the ceremony will be attended by some five-thousand people, including his family, politicians and government officials.
Beginning with a salutation to Park, the memorial service will comprise the delivery of a eulogy and his teachings, a recital of a tribute song, a gun salute, a silent prayer, an offering of flowers and the burning of incense.
As the father of incumbent President Park Geun-hye, the late president led South Korea to achieve the rapid industrialization and economic development called the Miracle of the Han River.
He joined the Army after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the founding of the South Korean government. He launched the May 16 military coup of 1961 when he was an Army major general and became the nation's fifth president in 1963.
While in office, the late president oversaw the construction of the Gyeongbu Highway and the success of the Saemaeul, or new community, movement, among other accomplishments. With Park at the helm, South Korea posted an economic growth rate of some ten percent a year.
Park Chung-hee proclaimed the Yushin Constitution in 1972 in order to eliminate previous constitutional limits on presidential terms and extend his reign. He was assassinated on October 26th, 1979 by then-intelligence agency chief Kim Jae-kyu.
Source: KBS World Radio
