Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo Dies at Age 92

Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo died on Tuesday at the age of 92, Yonhap reported. Lee, educated at Seoul National University, Emory University and Yale University, established himself as a respected political scientist while serving as a professor at Seoul National University in the 1970s and 1980s.

He entered public service as unification minister under the Roh Tae-woo administration in 1988.

Lee also served as a presidential aide and ambassador to the United Kingdom under the same administration. During the Kim Young-sam administration, he was appointed South Korea's 28th prime minister in 1994. Lee later served as ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2000, helping support diplomatic efforts in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, according to Yonhap.

The agency described him as a prominent scholar-turned-politician who played key roles in both academia and government. Lee is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His funeral is scheduled for Friday.