Former Prime Minister Kang Young-hoon, who met with his North Korean counterpart in 1990 in the first talks between the prime ministers of the two Koreas in nearly a half century, died Tuesday. He was 94.

Kim, who had been hospitalized at Seoul National University Hospital, died at around 3:07 p.m., Red Cross officials said.

Kang served as South Korea’s No. 2 official from 1988 to 1990 for then President Roh Tae-woo.

Kang met with his North Korean counterpart in September in 1990, the first such meeting following the division of the Korean Peninsula. Kang also traveled to Pyongyang a month later and met with North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong-un.

Kang later headed South Korea’s Red Cross, which provided humanitarian aid to North Korea, from 1991 to 1997.

Kang is survived by his wife, son and two daughters. (Yonhap)