Former President Kim Young-sam has been hospitalized after showing signs of a cold, his aides and hospital officials said Tuesday.

The 85-year-old Kim, who served as president from 1993 to 1998, was admitted to Seoul National University Hospital in downtown Seoul on Monday afternoon due to light cold symptoms and chest pain, according to the former president's chief secretary and hospital officials.

He is believed to have had stents placed in his heart, used for treating angina, after doctors suggested the surgery as a precaution.

The former president will be discharged on Wednesday if there is no problem with his health after simple medical checkups and treatment, they said.

Kim was briefly hospitalized in late April with similar symptoms. (Yonhap News)