S. Korean Lim Ki-tack wins 2nd term as IMO chief

LONDON, (Yonhap) -- Lim Ki-tack, the South Korean head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), earned his second term at the helm of the UN body on Thursday.

At its 121st IMO Council held in London, Lim received a unanimous vote from the 40 member states on its ruling council for his second term as secretary-general. His current four-year tenure was scheduled to end in 2019, and the 62-year-old will now be in his post until 2023.

Based in London, the IMO is a specialized agency of the UN responsible for the safety and security of shipping.

Lim was formerly the head of Busan Port Authority, overseeing port facilities in South Korea's second-largest city. He has spent three decades working for various maritime organizations and served in multiple positions in and outside the IMO, including as chairman of the IMO's Flag State Implementation Sub-Committee from 2002 to 2005.

On Lim's watch, the IMO produced a strategic plan for the six-year period of 2018 to 2023, with a focus on smart and eco-friendly shipping, as well as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.

This photo provided by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Nov. 22, 2018, shows Lim Ki-tack, the South Korean secretary-general of the UN body. Lim won his second term on a unanimous vote at the 121st IMO Council in London earlier in the day. (Yonhap)