By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The government has decided to support the head of the national tourism body in his bid to become the first Korean to head the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday that it will back Oh Jee-chul, president and CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), for the post of secretary general of the world organization.
``The ministry has decided to support Oh,'' an official said, declining to be named.
Francesco Frangialli from France has served as the four-year-term secretary general since 1998 after being re-elected twice. His term finishes in 2010, and the election for the new head will be held during the UNWTO General Assembly in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the second half of 2009.
``There are calls for a secretary general from other continents this time,'' the official said.
Based in Madrid, Spain, UNWTO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with the membership of 160 countries and territories and more than 350 affiliate members. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues, as well as to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Oh, 59, a graduate of Seoul National University's law college, obtained a Ph.D. at the school. He held high-ranking positions at the ministry from 1995 to 2003, and was vice minister between March 2003 and July 2004. In 2006, Oh was also a presidential advisor for Korea's bid to host the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
He was the chairman of the Korean Cable TV Association from March 2006, and was appointed as KTO head last November.