South Korea expressed its condolences to the Uzbekistani people on Saturday for the death of the country's leader Islam Karimov.

"We would like to express our condolences and sympathy to the Uzbekistani government and people," the government said in a statement. "We also hope that the people of Uzbekistan will soon overcome the shock and sorrow of losing their great leader."

South Korea plans to send a delegation, headed by Education Minister Lee Joon-sik, who doubles as deputy prime minister of economic and social affairs, to his funeral to be held in Samarkand, the second-largest city of the Central Asian nation.

Karimov died on Friday (local time) at the age of 78. He was the country's top leader for more than 25 years. (Yonhap)