The body of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died during a visit to Vietnam, arrived at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday. His five-day funeral will be held from Tuesday to Saturday at a funeral home in Seoul National University Hospital in a combined social and institutional format. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok will head the funeral committee.
Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan died on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City from cardiac arrest. He was visiting Vietnam as senior vice president of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) and arrived there on Thursday before collapsing on Friday as flu-like symptoms worsened. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for a stent insertion procedure but passed away later that day.
His body arrived at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday aboard a Korean Air flight, draped in the South Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi. After a brief memorial service at the airport with honor guards, the casket was transported to a funeral home at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who heads the funeral committee, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and politicians close to Lee were present to pay respects.
The five-day funeral, hosted by PUAC and the ruling Democratic Party, will run from Tuesday to Saturday in a combined social and institutional format, longer than the typical three-day South Korean service. It will include government honors but not be designated a state funeral, in line with family wishes and recognition of his societal contributions. The committee also includes Seoul National University emeritus professor Paik Nak-chung and Democratic Party Chairman Jung Chung-rai.
A seven-term lawmaker, Lee served as prime minister from 2004 to 2006 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. He entered politics through student activism and pro-democracy efforts during military regimes. Known for ties to former liberal presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in, as well as President Lee Jae-myung, he earned the nickname "kingmaker" as a key political ally and adviser. Vietnamese authorities, including the foreign ministry, expedited repatriation out of respect, with police escorting the body to Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Monday.
