U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday congratulated Lee Myung-bak on being elected as the next president of South Korea. The secretary-general “notes that the Republic of Korea is a highly valued and steadfast partner of the United Nations in the work for international peace and security, development, and human rights,” according to a statement released by his office. Ban hopes that under Lee's leadership, South Korea will increase its already “active engagement” in promoting the United Nation's agenda, including addressing climate change, contributing to peacekeeping, achieving development goals, and advocating for human rights. “The secretary-general also looks to the Republic of Korea to play an instrumental role in further consolidating peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, including through denuclearization, and in northeast Asia as a whole,” the statement said.
