Ambassador to Geneva Yun Seong Deok (second from right) on June 15 speaks at the 351st general assembly of the International Labour Organization in Geneva. (Organization's official Flickr account)

By Park Hye Ri

Korea has been elected chair country of the International Labour Organization for the first time in 21 years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 15 said Ambassador to Geneva Yun Seong Deok was elected ILO chairperson for the 2024-25 term at the 351st general session of the organization's Governing Body in the Swiss city.

For a year, he will lead the body in guiding and supervising the organization's projects and overall budget.

The selection of Ambassador Yun was agreed on by the body's 56 member states. Korea pursued an independent candidacy for the position.

He said, "Given the demands of a changing work environment due to response to climate change and digital transformation, we will exercise our diplomatic capacity to become an ILO that protects vulnerable workers and contributes to the creation of quality jobs."

The ministry said it expects the nation's status in global labor to jump based on Ambassador Yun's election as its chair following Korea's inclusion in the ILO Governing Body for 2024-27.

At the 112th ILO General Assembly from June 3-14, the country was elected a regular member of the body for the sixth time since joining the organization in 1991. 

hrhr@korea.kr