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Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders offered condolences to South Korea and Lee's family.
South Korean former Prime Minister Lee Hae Chan died from a serious illness during an official visit to Ho Chi Minh city, according to a Sunday night post on the Vietnamese government’s website.
Hae-chan, a veteran politician and influential fixture on South Korea's road to democracy, died on Sunday after emergency medical aid for a heart attack, according to the statement of the presidential advisory panel. He was 73.
"The country has lost a great mentor in the history of our democracy," President Lee Jae Myung said. "He dedicated his life to protecting and growing democratic values through our turbulent modern history."
Who was Lee Hae Chan?
Lee Hae Chan spearheaded government reform as prime minister from 2004 to 2006. The seven-term former member of parliament had started out as a student activist who was jailed in the 1970s for leading a democracy movement.
A firebrand who often clashed with political opponents, he was considered a shrewd strategist who helped four liberal presidents, including the current incumbent, to win the office.
Lee's death turns a “chapter in our political history,” the conservative opposition People Power Party said in a condolence statement.
Why was Lee Hae Chan in Vietnam?
Lee Hae Chan had arrived in Vietnam on Thursday for a meeting of the panel, which advises the government on policy with North Korea. He was the civilian head of the panel, known as the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, with members both at home and overseas.
According to the official statement, the Southeast Asian nation's foreign ministry worked with city officials, among others, to ensure Lee received the best medical care. However, their efforts were unavailing because of the severity of his condition.
Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders offered condolences to South Korea and Lee's family.
(With Reuters inputs)
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