South Korea Elected To Chair Board Of Governors At UN Nuclear Watchdog - Ministry

Faizan Hashmi Published September 27, 2021 | 08:18 PM

South Korea has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the first time since it joined the organization as a founding member in 1957, the country's foreign ministry announced on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2021) South Korea has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the first time since it joined the organization as a founding member in 1957, the country's foreign ministry announced on Monday.

"Korea was elected as next Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on September 27, 2021, by consensus at the Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria," the ministry said.

The country was chosen due to its "exemplary record in non-proliferation and active contributions to the IAEA in the field," the statement added.

The term of the one-year chairmanship is set to begin in September.

The South Korean ambassador to Austria and permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna, Shin Chae-hyun, will serve as chair.

The chair is expected to preside over the IAEA board meetings, which take place five times per year, and the meetings of the board's standing committees on budget and cooperation, the ministry said. Additionally, the chair will hold consultations and coordinate with the IAEA secretariat, regional groups, and other interested parties on key issues of the agenda ahead of board meetings, the ministry noted.

The appointment became the first for South Korea since 1957, when the country joined the nuclear watchdog as one of its founding members.