South Korean President Lee Myung- bak has conveyed a message of condolences to the family of Juan Antonio Samaranch, the late former head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

"The dedication Samaranch showed for the development of the world's sports and Olympics will remain in our hearts forever. South Koreans will never forget his love and support for South Korea," Lee said in a statement.

Samaranch, the president of the IOC from 1980 to 2001, made his first visit to South Korea in 1982 and was a supporter of Seoul's 1988 Olympic bid.

He also helped make Taekwondo, a Korean martial art, an official sport of the Olympics in 2000, and was awarded the Seoul Peace Award in 1990.

Samaranch died Wednesday at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, at the age of 89.