SEOUL: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was named Tuesday as the winner of this year's Seoul Peace Prize, the prize foundation said.
Ban was chosen for promoting the rights of women and children, efforts to eliminate poverty in developing nations, and contributing to the democratisation of Middle Eastern countries, the foundation said.
He is the first South Korean to receive the biennial award, which was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 1988 Seoul summer Olympics. Ban, who was elected to a second five-year term as UN chief in 2011, is the 11th recipient of the award, which recognises people who devote themselves to transcending race and ideology to build world peace.
Previous winners include the then-International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then-UN secretary general Kofi Annan and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The winner receives a diploma, plaque and a $200,000 payment.