Cho Hee-dae said, "Absolutely do not come to pay your respects," yet returned all condolence money envelopes after his father's death

[Financial News] It was belatedly reported that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae returned all the condolence money handed over by mourners after his father's funeral, envelopes and all.
According to JoongAng Ilbo on the 30th of last month, the news emerged through a post written in the Seoul National University College of Law's group chat by attorney Ahn Hong-ryeol, a classmate of Chief Justice Cho at the college and the Judicial Research and Training Institute's 13th class.
Attorney Ahn said, "After the funeral, I was told that someone identifying himself as a personnel and protocol officer from the Supreme Court had called my office. When I arrived at the office, he came to see me at the agreed time. He returned the condolence-money envelope I had submitted at the time exactly as it was."
Ahn explained why he had attended the funeral in person, saying, "Although there had been media reports that he was declining mourners and would hold a private family funeral, I went to pay my respects in person out of gratitude for the sincerity Chief Justice Cho showed by attending my father's funeral."
He continued, "Given Chief Justice Cho's character, I thought he might not accept condolence money, but I prepared some just in case. Since the reception desk was accepting condolence money, I submitted it and went upstairs, but I was contacted several days later."
It was also learned that the condolence-money envelope of another Seoul National University College of Law classmate, which Ahn had delivered at the same time, was returned intact. Ahn said, "I suppose they accepted the money at first because they could not distinguish between the condolence money from Chief Justice Cho's younger brother and that from other mourners. Later, they sent a protocol secretary to return all the envelopes exactly as they had been submitted. I hear they also instructed the secretaries-general of the relevant courts to visit each person who had sent condolence money from the provinces and return the envelopes intact."
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Cho's father, Cho Bu-hwan, died at the age of 93 on the 30th of last month. When his father's death became known, Chief Justice Cho conveyed through the Supreme Court of Korea that he would not accept outside mourners so he could hold a quiet funeral with his family. The court also took steps to prevent people within the judiciary from sending condolence money. He was reportedly said to have asked officials at the Supreme Court of Korea and the National Court Administration, "Absolutely do not come to pay your respects."
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter