The late Lee

Former Prime Minister Lee Young-deok died Saturday of pneumonia. He was 84.

A close aide to former President Kim Young-sam, Lee became the 27th prime minister in 1994, succeeding Lee Hoi-chang, now the leader of the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party.

After the Kim administration was launched in 1993, Lee served as Kim's chief envoy on North Korea.

Last November, Lee launched a group of former prime ministers supporting the government's plan to transform Sejong City into a business hub, along with Nam Duck-woo and Chung Won-shik, and served as a policy advisor to Prime Minister Chung Un-chan.

He is survived by his wife, one son and two daughters.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr