For the first time since its establishment,... a South Korean official has been elected to lead the executive board of three UN agencies.
The South Korean ambassador took office on Thursday.
Park Hee-jun has the details.
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.
Cho was inaugurated in New York on Thursday, as the head of the executive board of the three UN bodies for 2019.
It's the first time for a South Korean official to be appointed chief,... since the board was established in 1994.

The Executive Board is a 36-nation body that supervises the activities of the three agencies.
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.
During his one-year term,... he will coordinate with the heads of each organization,... and chair regular meetings within the board.

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.
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.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.