Actor Jung Woo-sung has been appointed an honorary advocate for the U.N. Refugee Agency in Korea, the agency said.

Jung is the first celebrity to serve in the role since the establishment of the agency’s Seoul office in 2001.

As the honorary advocate, the actor will help support some 45 million refugees worldwide, by participating in promotional activities to raise awareness of their needs.

“I was shocked to learn that more than 45 million people are displaced around the world,” Jung said through the UNHCR Seoul office. “I am grateful to be of some small help to people in need.”

Dirk Hebecker, a representative of UNHCR Korea, said he was grateful for Jung’s decision to accept the role.

“I am positive that with Mr. Jung’s support, more members of the Korean public will be able to understand that refugees are people who leave their homes and even their families, not because they want to, but because they are forced to,” he said.

Jung, who made his film debut in 1994 with “The Fox with Nine Tails,” is one of the most famed actors here. Some of his best known works include “Beat” (1997), “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2008) and “Cold Eyes” (2013).

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)