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LA Koreans pay respects to Kim Young-sam

November 24, 2015

Los Angeles Korean American community leaders pay their respects to former President Kim Young-sam inside Los Angeles Korean Consulate. (Park Sang-hyuk/Korea Times)

Los Angeles Korean American community leaders pay their respects to former President Kim Young-sam inside the Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles. (Park Sang-hyuk/Korea Times)

By The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

Footsteps of Los Angeles Korean Americans never ceased yesterday at memorial altars for former South Korean President Kim Young-sam set up inside the local diplomatic office and the community association.

Community leaders, including Korean American Federation President James Ahn and Southern California Korean Ministerial Association President Um Kyu-seo, were among those paying their respects.

A flow of civilians made their way to the association center following work hours.

Kim, who formally ended decades-long military rule to champion democracy in Korea when he took office from 1993 to 1998, died Sunday in a Seoul hospital. He was 87.

“We’ve seen a lot of older locals come to pay their respects,” the association said. “We will try our best to make sure the visit is comfortable for those who come to the altar.”

Inside the Korean Consulate General, where another altar was installed, more visitors — Los Angeles Peru Consul General Lilian Cino, former Korean Consul General Kim Jae-soo, Vietnam War veterans — came by.

Memorial altars will be open until Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Consulate General and until Friday at KAFLA.

Los Angeles Korean American community leaders pay their respects to former President Kim Young-sam inside the local association center. (Park Sang-hyuk/Korea Times)