Korean replaces Adrianus

Korean replaces Adrianus

UNITED NATIONS (AP): Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed South Korean economist Hak Su-kim as executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Kim, currently ambassador at large for international economic affairs, will replace Adrianus Mooy, a former governor of the central bank of Indonesia, whose term expires on June 30, UN spokesman David Wimhurst said.

The commission, known as ESCAP, is based in Bangkok and focuses on regional economic cooperation, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation through economic growth and social development.

Kim, who will have the rank of undersecretary-general, began his career in 1960 as a central bank economist, worked in private banking, and has experience in development planning and international organizations.