Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan died at age 73 from cardiac arrest while on a business trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He had flu-like symptoms before departing on Thursday and suffered shortness of breath at the airport on Friday before being rushed to hospital. Tributes across the political spectrum highlight his lifelong dedication to democracy.
Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, serving as senior vice chairperson of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), died on Sunday at around 2:48 p.m. local time in a Ho Chi Minh City hospital from cardiac arrest. He had reported flu-like symptoms before leaving for Vietnam on Thursday and was set to return home on Friday as his condition worsened. While waiting at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, he experienced shortness of breath and was rushed to the emergency room, suffering cardiac arrest en route and another upon arrival; he underwent a stent insertion but passed away.
His remains are scheduled for transport from Vietnam late Monday, arriving at Incheon International Airport early Tuesday, and are currently held at a military hospital there. The bereaved family is coordinating funeral arrangements with authorities. A seven-term lawmaker, Lee served as prime minister from 2004 to 2006 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and as education minister under Kim Dae-jung in 1998. He entered politics through pro-democracy activism during military regimes, imprisoned as a Seoul National University student in the 1970s for protesting Park Chung-hee's rule. In a 1980 trial linked to the Gwangju uprising, he declared, 'I will fight with my life until this land is democratized,' earning a 10-year sentence, later pardoned in 1982.
Known as the 'kingmaker' for his alliances with progressive presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and current President Lee Jae Myung, Lee drove education reforms as minister, dubbed the 'Lee Hae-chan Generation.' Appointed to PUAC in October 2025, the presidential office noted it supported North Korea and unification policies.
President Lee Jae Myung expressed condolences on Facebook, stating, 'Today, the Republic of Korea has lost a great mentor in the history of democracy.' Democratic Party spokesperson Park Soo-hyun called him 'a pillar of South Korea's democracy for half a century,' adding, 'We are not merely bidding farewell to a politician, but to an era of democracy.' Party Chairman Jung Chung-rae described him as 'a towering figure of Korean democracy who dedicated his entire life to democracy... enduring every hardship.' Former President Moon Jae-in wrote, 'From the democratic movement... he always stood at the center, dedicating his entire life to democracy and the nation.'
Opposition People Power Party spokesperson Choi Bo-yun acknowledged, 'His journey from the opposition to assuming national responsibilities will remain a defining chapter in Korea's political history.' Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, 'I will remember... the footsteps of the deceased, who stood as a pillar of Korean politics.' The Democratic Party will observe a mourning period and set up memorial halls nationwide, with a memorial altar at Seoul National University Hospital.
