By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kim Moon will receive an honorary doctoral degree in diplomacy, Seoul National University (SNU), his alma mater, said Sunday.
The school said he is worthy of the doctorate as he has served for the nation for more than 30 years as a diplomat and is making efforts for world peace and welfare as the head of the international organization.
Ban expressed gratitude and the award ceremony would take place by July when Ban is expected to visit Seoul, the university said.
Ban, 64, graduated from SNU in 1970 and took a masters degree in public administration at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 1985.
He has received no doctorate from other universities.
The university has conferred an honorary doctorate on nine Koreans including the nation's first President Rhee Syng-man and 95 foreign nationals including former German President Johannes Rau.