Seoul, March 13 (IANS) Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was taken to a hospital in Seoul Saturday after complaining of a stomach ache, hospital officials said, adding that he was recovering.

An official at Yonsei Severance Hospital said on the phone that Kissinger was admitted to the hospital earlier Saturday due to sudden abdominal pain.

The official said he is receiving treatment, but is not in a serious condition and is recovering, Xinhua reported.

The 86-year-old former US diplomat arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a forum on Northeastern Asian security held on Thursday. He also visited Cheong Wa Dae and met South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Friday.

Kissinger had originally planned to leave Seoul Saturday, but will do so Sunday after being discharged from hospital.

According to Kissinger's original schedule, after the Seoul visit, he was to attend the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service dinner in Hong Kong.

Kissinger served as the top U.S. diplomat during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford from 1971 to 1977. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973.