Uganda's interior minister died suddenly on his flight back home from Korea early this month, the Foreign Ministry here said Monday.

Aronda Nyakairima (56) had visited Korea from Aug. 8 to 11 at the invitation of the Korea Foundation. The cause of his death was heart failure.

Ugandan newspaper the Observer on Friday quoted the country's President Yoweri Museveni as saying Nyakairima complained of a stomach ache and nausea during his stay in Korea, but Seoul refused to treat him citing a lack of medical insurance.

But the Korea Foundation denied this, saying all invited foreign dignitaries signed up for travel insurance and were covered during their stay but Nyakairima did not want medical treatment here.

A Fore ign Ministry official said it "sent a message of condolence while informing the Ugandan government that the allegations are not true, based on the accounts of the Korea Foundation."

Nyakairima discussed with Korean officials the government's resident registration system with a view to Uganda adopting something similar.

