The Republic of Korea has appealed to Nigeria to back its candidate, Dr. Kang Kyung-wha, for the position of Director-General of the International Labour Organisation.
Korean Ambassador to Nigeria Kim Young-Chae made the appeal at the weekend.
ILO governing body will on March 25, 2022 elect the next director-general in Geneva, Switzerland.
Soliciting the support of Nigeria for Dr Kyung-wha, the envoy reminded Nigeria that a Korean, Yoo Myung-hee, withdrew from contesting the Director-Generalship of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which paved the way for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to emerge as the Director-General.
The ambassador, who paid glowing tributes to the towering influence of Nigeria within the international labour arena, said securing Nigeria’s support for its candidate was crucial.
He said: “The influence of Nigeria in the international labour circle is very huge. Just like Myung-hee stepped down during the WTO race, which made the emergence of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala possible, we are counting on Nigeria to reciprocate this gesture.
“I have met with the Chief of Staff to the President. I have met with the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, on this issue. We are talking to Nigeria to support our candidate during the election.”
Dr. Kyung-wha said her experience as a Senior Manager in the United Nations (UN) for over 10 years in the field of human rights and humanitarian assistance puts her in good stead to deliver people-oriented programmes in the ILO.
In the same vein, the ambassador stressed that granting the hosting right to Busan, a commercial hub in Korea to host World Expo 2030 will be the right choice.
He said: “World Expos have always presented a new vision for the potential of mankind. World Expo 2030 will serve as a forum for cooperation to tackle global challenges.
“World Expo 2030 will be a fitting venue to build consensus between advanced and emerging economies. Having made the successful journey from a developing country to a developed one, the Republic of Korea is best positioned to bridge the two.”