Former President Chun Doo-hwan has been hospitalized for medical treatment, informed officials said Saturday, days after he made a 660-kilometer round trip to the southwestern city Gwangju to attend an appellate court hearing on a defamation case.

The 90-year-old Chun, who served as president from 1980-1988, was admitted to Severance Hospital in western Seoul on Friday to receive medical treatment and undergo a checkup, the officials told Yonhap News Agency.

He is expected to be discharged from the hospital during the ongoing Liberation Day holiday, which extends to Monday, at the earliest if no health abnormalities are found, they said.

Chun showed up at the Gwangju District Court's appellate division on Monday to attend a hearing but left the courtroom after only 25 minutes after complaining of breathing difficulties. He answered some of the judge's questions with the help of his wife and was seen dozing off. (Yonhap)