Korean politicians from ruling and opposition parties are set to gather in Gimhae on Monday to mark the seventh anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death.
Officials from the ruling Saenuri Party, as well as the main opposition Minjoo Party and the minor People's Party, will visit Roh's home in Bongha Village, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Roh, who led the country from 2003 to 2008, killed himself at a mountainside precipice above his provincial hometown in May 2009, expressing emotional stress over a months-long corruption probe involving his immediate family. He was 62.
Political sources said the main opposition party will seek to beef up the public's support through the commemorative event, as Roh's dramatic death has transformed him into an icon of the opposition factions.
The People's Party, which failed to earn a single seat in South Gyeongsang Province and Busan, also seeks to embrace supporters of Roh through the commemorative event, they added.
The Saenuri Party on the other hand is aiming to shore up its support base in the Gyeongsang region by participating in the symbolic gathering. The party suffered a setback in the April 13 polls by giving up seats in the Gyeongsang area, which traditionally has been its political stronghold. (Yonhap)
