Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea have re-elected Kim Doo-young as deputy registrar of the tribunal at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday, the government said.

Kim has served in the post since June 2002 and his third five-year term will take effect from June 25, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1981 and served as director of the international legal affairs division of the treaties bureau from 1999 to 2001.

Kim’s third term will further enhance the status of South Korea at the ITLOS, the Foreign Ministry said.

The ITLOS is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to address disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)