Lee to Attend Public Funeral for Roh

President Lee Myung-bak has decided to attend the public funeral service for former President Roh Moo-hyun in front of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul on Friday, instead of visiting the altar set up at Roh's home of Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Lee had originally planned to visit the altar at Bongha Village but decided to attend the public funeral instead because that will be organized by the government.

Police officers across the country will be on highest alert for two days from Friday.

Mourners continue to visit altars set up at various locations throughout the country to pay their respects to Roh, who died Saturday aged 63. Police estimate that a total of 340,000 mourners had visited the altar at Bongha Village as of 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, and that about 44,700 mourners had visited the altar set up near the front gate of Deoksu Palace in Seoul. The number of official altars set up by the government had increased to 93 across the country as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.