(LEAD) Chinese Embassy in Seoul to open memorial alter for late Jiang

(ATTN: UPDATES headline, lead paras with embassy's plan for memorial altars)

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- China plans to set up memorial altars for late leader Jiang Zemin at the country's embassy in Seoul and consular offices in three other South Korean cities, embassy officials said Thursday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is considering visiting the embassy to pay his respects to Jiang and sign a guest book, ministry officials said.

Consulate generals in Busan, Gwangju and Jeju are also to receive mourners from later in the day through next Tuesday.

Chung Jae-ho, Seoul's top envoy in China, visited a mourning altar in Beijing earlier in the day. to pay tribute to Jiang, South Korea's embassy in Beijing said.

Jiang died the previous day at age 96 after suffering from leukemia, according to foreign media reports. He was the first Chinese leader to visit South Korea in November 1995.

A funeral committee for Jiang earlier announced that "foreign governments, political parties and friendly personages" will not be invited to send delegations to China to attend the mourning activities in accordance with China's practices.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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