The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Kang Chang-hee, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. During his meeting with the Speaker, the Secretary-General commended the Parliament, Government and the people of the Republic of Korea (ROK) for their strong support to the United Nations and expressed appreciation for the role played by the National Assembly in increasing ROK's contribution to various global agenda.  He strongly welcomed the ROK’s leadership and increasingly active role in the Organization, including international peace and security, sustainable development, humanitarian cooperation, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, human rights and women’s empowerment. The Secretary-General welcomed, in particular, the ROK’s initiatives and active role on such global challenges as climate change and governance.

The Secretary-General thanked the Speaker for reaffirming the ROK's commitment to increase its overseas development assistance for the developing world, especially for Africa.

The Secretary-General also appreciated the efforts of the ROK to build mutual trust and promote dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.