Kim Jong Il, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), mourned former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung, praising his feats for national reconciliation, the official KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.

A woman mourns the former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung at the memorial room of Severance Hospital in Seoul, South Korea on Aug. 18, 2009. Kim Dae-jung died at the age of 85 at 1:43 p.m. (0443 GMT) Tuesday, Park Chang-il, chief of Seoul's Severance Hospital said. [Xinhua]

"Upon hearing the sad news that ex-President Kim Dae Jung passed away, I express my deep condolences to Mrs. Ri Hui Ho and other bereaved family members," said the top leader in a message of condolences to the family of Kim Dae-jung.

"Though he passed away to our regret, the feats he performed to achieve national reconciliation and realize the desire for reunification will remain long with the nation," he added.

Kim died at 85 on Tuesday in hospital, after being admitted on July 13 with pneumonia and related complications.

He came to Pyongyang to hold a summit meeting with the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il in June 2000, which won Kim the Noble prize.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2009)