Korea International Trade Association said on Monday that its chairman and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has won the Van Fleet Award 2012 in New York.

The Korea Society, an American non-profit organization to promote understanding and cooperation between Korea and the U.S., said that it chose Han for his contribution to strengthening economic ties and friendship between the two nations. 

The award is named after General James A. Van Fleet, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army during the 1950-1951 Korean War. General Van Fleet served as the first president of the Korea Society.

KITA said this year’s sole honoree, chairman Han, was formally conferred the Van Fleet Award at the society’s annual banquet held in the Plaza Hotel, in New York on Monday.

“While he had been the Korean ambassador to the U.S., Han had demonstrated his passion by making innumerable trips to construct supportive movement of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which greatly reinforced economic cooperation between the two countries,” said Thomas C. Hubbard, chairman of the society’s board of directors.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcm.com)