Former President Roh in critical condition

Former President Roh Tae-woo is surviving on bottled oxygen as his lungs are failing, sources said.

According to officials at Seoul National University Hospital, the 79-year-old has been hospitalized for nearly 70 days since Sept. 27 with symptoms of pneumonia and asthma.

His symptoms have worsened and medical treatment has had little effect, they said, adding that they do not plan to administer additional treatment.

A local daily reported that it was the first time in the past five years the former president has been hospitalized for more than 60 days.

Roh served as president from 1988 to 1993. Roh, then an army major general, gave critical support to Korea’s last strongman Chun Doo-hwan during their military coup in 1979, and helped him lead troops to crush Gwangju citizens’ demonstrations for democratization in 1980.

Meanwhile, former President Kim Young-sam, who succeeded Roh in 1993, was also reported to have been hospitalized at Seoul National University Hospital.

The 84-year-old was taken to the hospital in a wheelchair on Oct. 29 with severe dizziness and pain in his legs. After being checked with magnetic resonance imaging, Kim left the hospital the following day, hospital officials said.

Former Presidents Roh and Chun were convicted of masterminding the 1979 coup but pardoned later by then president Kim Dae-jung in 1997.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)