The head of South Korea's Olympic body has been elected as a new member of the International Olympic Committee.
Lee Kee-heung became one of ten new IOC members on Wednesday.
He'll be tasked with boosting South Korea's efforts to increase its influence in global sports diplomacy.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
During the International Olympic Committee's 134th Session in Lausanne, Switzerland Wednesday,... ten representatives were named the latest members of the top Olympic organization in the world.
Among the newest members is Lee Kee-heung,... president of the Korean Sports & Olympic Committee.
The 64-year-old joins the 2004 Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min,... as the second South Korean sitting on the IOC's board.
Lee also becomes just the 11th South Korean to be elected to the position in the history of the IOC.
Lee earned his nomination for the position in late May,... and the approval of Lee and the nine other candidates was considered a formality.
Each of the candidates needed to garner the majority of votes cast,... and the newest South Korean member earned 57 of the 62 votes,... with two abstentions.
With his new position,... Lee becomes one of three new members linked to their function within their national Olympic committees or a continental Olympic association.
Lee is a veteran sports administrator,... who has served in a number of executive roles for multiple organizations,... both domestic and international.
He was president of the Korea Canoe Federation from 2004 to 2009, vice president of the Asian Canoe Federation in 2007, vice president of the Asia Swimming Federation from 2012 to 2016 and president of the Korea Swimming Federation from 2010 to 2016.
He also served as vice president on the organizing committees for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, two major international competitions hosted by South Korea in recent years.
While his term is eight years,... he'll remain as the chief of South Korea's Olympic Committee during that period in order to maintain his IOC membership.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
