South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Sunday attended the funeral ceremony of Lee Kuan Yew, founder of Singapore.
  

It marked the first time for Park to attend a funeral of an overseas political leader since taking office in 2013.
  

Park arrived at the service held at the University Cultural Center around 12:50 p.m. and stayed there for more than four hours, according to her office, Cheong Wa Dae.
  

Dressed in a black pantsuit, Park was joined by former and current heads of state in mourning Lee, who died Monday at 91. He is credited with transforming the port city into a thriving global finance and trade hub during his 31-year rule.
  

In the guest book, Park left a message in English, saying "His (Lee's) name will remain forever engraved in the pages of world history" and calling the deceased "a monumental leader of our time."
  

Park had known Lee personally. In 1979, when her father, then President Park Chung-hee, held talks with Lee in Seoul, Park Geun-hye served as a stand-in first lady. Her mother, Yook Young-su, had been killed in a failed assassination attempt on her father earlier.
  

The current president also served as an interpreter in a post-summit banquet that her father hosted for the then leader from Singapore.
  

The junior Park had met Lee on a visit to South Korea in May 2006, and later traveled to Singapore at Lee's invitation in July 2008.
  

Park is scheduled to arrive back in South Korea early Monday. Because of the short duration of her visit, Cheong Wa Dae had earlier said Park hadn't set aside time for any formal talks with other leaders visiting Singapore.
  

It wasn't immediately clear to whom Park spoke during the ceremony. She was seated next to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Myanmar President Thein Sein. (Yonhap)