Russian Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev (left) attending Khamenei's funeral [Sputnik·AP=Yonhap News file photo]It has been revealed that Iran invited South Korea to the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei but later rescinded the invitation.

According to diplomatic sources on the 5th, the South Korean government did not officially attend the funeral held in Tehran, Iran, on the 4th (local time).

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "We had received an invitation and intended to attend through our diplomatic mission, but the Iranian side informed us at the last minute that attendance by diplomatic missions would be difficult due to venue constraints and other reasons," adding, "Consequently, we did not attend."

It is interpreted that Iran modified its policy to decline attendance from locally based diplomatic missions, opting instead to receive high-level mourners arriving directly from foreign countries.

There is also speculation that the South Korean government accepted Iran's policy change by considering its relations with the United States, especially given that Iran did not send invitations to the majority of Western nations.

The funeral was attended by numerous high-ranking officials from countries friendly to Iran, including He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (the Chinese equivalent of the National Assembly); Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council; and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir.