For the first time since its establishment,... a South Korean official has been elected to lead the executive board of three UN agencies.<br />The South Korean ambassador took office on Thursday.<br />Park Hee-jun has the details. <br />South Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations, Cho Tae-Yul , has been elected president of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, and the UN Office for Project Services.<br />Cho was inaugurated in New York on Thursday, as the head of the executive board of the three UN bodies for 2019.<br />It's the first time for a South Korean official to be appointed chief,... since the board was established in 1994. <br /><br />The Executive Board is a 36-nation body that supervises the activities of the three agencies.<br />Seoul's foreign ministry says Cho's election is down to the international community's recognition of South Korea's leading role as an executive board member and a donor nation.<br />During his one-year term,... he will coordinate with the heads of each organization,... and chair regular meetings within the board.<br /><br />With Cho taking the post, the foreign ministry anticipates South Korea will broaden the scope of its diplomacy at the UN,... and strengthen its leadership on the international stage.<br />South Korea is also expected to act as mediator between donor and recipient countries,... with its experience of having advanced from a beneficiary country to a donor country.<br />Park Hee-jun, Arirang News. <br />
