A South Korean official on Wednesday was elected to serve as a member of the United Nations sea tribunal, marking Seoul's third consecutive time in winning a seat in the organization.

Rhee Zha-hyoung, director-general for international legal affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, was voted as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the 2023-2032 term, according to South Korea's permanent mission to the UN, gaining support from 144 among 164 voting member states.

Six other members were elected as judges for the tribunal, including Japan's Hidehisa Horinouchi.

ITLOS deals with global maritime issues, including sea border disputes among member states, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. South Korea has successfully maintained a spot at the tribunal since 1996.

Seoul's foreign ministry welcomed the election, saying, "Rhee's win will not only upgrade South Korea's status in the field of maritime law but also expand our role." (Yonhap)