A South Korean envoy has been recommended as the sole candidate for chairperson of the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Governing Body, Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik has said.
The minister made the announcement during a meeting with reporters on Tuesday (local time) in Geneva, where he was attending an ILO general session.
“We have been informed that South Korea has been recommended as the sole candidate for the ILO Governing Body chairperson,” the minister said.
Yun Seong-deok, a career diplomat currently serving as permanent representative to the South Korean mission in Geneva, has been proposed for the one-year term position and the ILO is reportedly scheduled to officially elect him on Saturday.
The decision, if finalized, marks the first time since 2003 that South Korea will serve as the ILO Governing Body chair.
Lee said the scheduled election reflects the ILO’s expectations for South Korea to play an internationally important role, especially as the country faces a flurry of labor market c
hanges, such as a shifting demographic structure, climate change and new forms of labor contracts.
Source: Yonhap News Agency