[SEOUL] Former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil died on Saturday at age 92.

Mr Kim died at 8.15am, an aide said.

Mr Kim was taken to Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul from his home in the Shindang-dong district, and he was already dead on arrival, hospital officials said.

He is believed to have died of old age.

Born in 1926, Mr Kim graduated from the Korea Military Academy and played a key role in the 1961 military coup led by Park Chung Hee, who rose to president and ruled South Korea for 18 years.

Mr Kim served as prime minister twice, first from 1971-1975 and then from 1998-2000.

He also served nine terms as a lawmaker and was considered one of South Korea's most influential politicians in the 1980s-90s. He was known as one of the "three Kims", together with former Presidents Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung.

AFP