Former S. Korean envoy named head of U.N.-linked body

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- A former South Korean ambassador to the United Nations
was elected Tuesday as the new head of a global non-governmental organization
supporting the U.N.'s principles and programs, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Park Soo-gil was named president of the World Federation of United Nations
Associations (WFUNA), replacing Hans Blix, during its plenary meeting in Seoul
and will serve a three-year term, the ministry said.
A veteran diplomat, Park served as South Korea's ambassador to the U.N. from
1995-98.
"Park's election will not only help promote South Korea's status on the
international stage, but also further ramp up cooperation between the U.N. and the
private organization," a ministry official said.
The WFUNA's 39th Plenary Assembly, which kicked off here on Monday, is to run
until Wednesday. Founded in 1946, the WFUNA has 109 member associations worldwide
devoted to promoting the causes of the U.N.
(END)