Graves of presidents

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the U.S., is buried in his family cemetery in Virginia. His tombstone says he is the author of the Declaration of Independence of the Statue of Virginia for religious freedom and the father of University of Virginia, as he insisted. It does not mention his titles of secretary of state, vice president and president. This reflects his conviction that the core of a democratic country is not the government but Congress. President Richard Nixon, who died in 1994, was buried in the garden of his birth house in Yorba Linda, California. He did not want to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near the congressional building because the legislature impeached him for the Watergate scandal.

Abraham Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois. He was from Kentucky but hung out a shingle as a lawyer and built his political career in Springfield. Many places in Illinois are named the “land of Lincoln.” Ronald Reagan, who was born and grew up in Illinois, was buried in Simi Valley, California. He was an actor in Hollywood before serving as governor of California. Only two presidents -– William H. Taft and John F. Kennedy –- were buried at Arlington National Cemetery out of 39 former presidents. Kennedy got no grave and tombstone but a square stone.

Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos died in Hawaii in exile in 1989. The Philippine government allowed his body to be carried back home but rejected his family’s request to bury him at the national cemetery. His enraged family preserved his body and exhibited it in his hometown instead of burying him. The Philippine government and his family remain at odds.

Former Korean President Roh Tae-woo filed a petition to prosecutors for an investigation into Shin Myeong-soo, Roh’s in-law and former chairman of Shindongbang Group. Roh said he asked Shin to keep his slush money. According to Roh, Shin has 42.4 billion won (36.3 million U.S. dollars) in additional funds excluding the slush funds. If Roh gets the money back, he can pay 23.1 billion won (19.8 million dollars) of the 262.8 billion won (225.39 million dollars) in fines he owes for raising slush funds. Some say Roh wants to be buried at Seoul National Cemetery in return for paying off his fines. He probably wants to regain his honor after his death.

Editorial Writer Lee Hyeong-sam (hans@donga.com)