SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) -Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, a veteran progressive politician and one of the most influential figures in the country’s liberal camp, was rushed to a hospital in Vietnam on Friday after suffering a heart attack and remains in critical condition, officials said.
Lee, 73, who currently serves as senior vice chairperson of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), collapsed at around 1 p.m. local time shortly after arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while attempting to return to South Korea, according to PUAC officials.
He had arrived in Vietnam a day earlier to attend a meeting of the council’s Vietnamese chapter but reportedly complained of flu-like symptoms before his departure from Seoul. As his condition worsened, Lee decided to cut short his trip and return home.
During the airport incident, Lee experienced breathing difficulties and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Officials said he suffered cardiac arrest twice during transport and treatment.
Doctors performed a stent insertion procedure, and Lee is currently breathing with the assistance of mechanical support. His condition remains critical, and he is expected to remain hospitalized until stabilized, officials said.
President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the situation and ordered the dispatch of his senior political secretary, Cho Jung-sik, to Vietnam to assist during Lee’s hospitalization. Cho was scheduled to depart early Saturday, according to the presidential office.
Born in 1952, Lee Hae-chan is a seven-term lawmaker and a towering figure in South Korea’s progressive movement. He served as prime minister from 2004 to 2006 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and previously held the post of education minister, where he spearheaded sweeping education and administrative reforms.
Known as a hardline strategist and ideological anchor of the Democratic Party, Lee later served as a senior adviser to Lee Jae Myung’s presidential campaign in 2021 and as co-chair of the party’s election committee during last year’s general election. He currently holds the title of standing senior adviser to the Democratic Party.
The PUAC is a constitutionally mandated presidential advisory body tasked with proposing unification policies, gathering domestic and international public opinion on inter-Korean relations, and building national consensus on unification. The president serves as its chair, while the senior vice chairperson serves a two-year term. The council comprises roughly 22,000 advisers at home and abroad, including regional, professional and overseas Korean representatives.
Officials said they are closely monitoring Lee’s condition as arrangements are made for ongoing medical support in coordination with South Korean authorities.
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