Former S. Korean leader on respirator

SEOUL, July 16 (UPI) -- Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has been put on a respirator but is not in critical condition, hospital officials in Seoul said Thursday.

The former leader experienced shortness of breath Wednesday and was put on a respirator early Thursday, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

"His condition has improved since," Severance Hospital official Park Chang-il said. "He is conscious, and his pulse, breathing and body temperature are normal."

While not experiencing complications, Park noted Kim had been receiving kidney dialysis "for a long time" and was being fed through a feeding tube.

Kim, 83, who was president from 1998 to 2003, was hospitalized Monday and moved to the intensive care unit after he was diagnosed with pneumonia, Yonhap reported.

"He is being given tranquilizers for comfort. We will be able to remove the respirator once his condition improves," Park said. "It's difficult to immediately predict what the condition will be. We will be monitoring closely for the next few days."