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Former S Korea President Kim dies | Former S Korea President Kim dies |
(21 minutes later) | |
Kim Dae-jung, the former president of South Korea, has died at the age of 83, hospital sources say. | Kim Dae-jung, the former president of South Korea, has died at the age of 83, hospital sources say. |
Mr Kim, who was being treated for pneumonia, was reported to have died after suffering heart failure. | Mr Kim, who was being treated for pneumonia, was reported to have died after suffering heart failure. |
The former leader had spent his life pursuing democracy and reunification with the North. | The former leader had spent his life pursuing democracy and reunification with the North. |
He survived several attempts on his life and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his "Sunshine" policy efforts to improve ties with Pyongyang. | |
Mr Kim was declared dead at 1.43pm local time (0443 GMT), the AFP news agency quoted a spokesman at the Severance hospital in Seoul as saying. | Mr Kim was declared dead at 1.43pm local time (0443 GMT), the AFP news agency quoted a spokesman at the Severance hospital in Seoul as saying. |
"His heart began failing at 1.35 pm and stopped minutes later despite our efforts to revive it," said the spokesman. | "His heart began failing at 1.35 pm and stopped minutes later despite our efforts to revive it," said the spokesman. |
Mr Kim was branded a dangerous radical during South Korea's decades of military rule. | |
He survived several assassination attempts, was sentenced to death, and tortured in jail. He was exiled twice and put under house arrest countless times. | |
He made history when he was elected to the presidency in December 1997 on his fourth attempt - the first peaceful transfer of power from a ruling to an opposition party since the country was founded in 1948. | |
He remained president until he stepped down in 2003. | |
In 2007, South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), admitted to having abducted Mr Kim in 1973, with tacit backing from then leader Park Chung-hee. | |
The report said there was some evidence to suggest the kidnap was initially planned as an assassination attempt. |