SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk died of complications from a Covid-19 infection in Latvia on Friday (Dec 11), according to news reports.

Multiple news reports from Russia said the director died in the hospital from complications associated with Covid-19.

According to the sources, Kim arrived in Latvia in the middle of last month.

He reportedly lived there with the help of film industry figures in Latvia. He was recently hospitalised due to symptoms of coronavirus, but was reported to have died after treatment.

A diplomatic source said the hospital had yet to confirm Kim's death due to privacy protection rules.

Kim, 59, was one of South Korea's top movie directors and had won prestigious awards including the Golden Lion at the 2012 Venice Film Festival for his movie Pieta.