Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (right) shakes hand with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the UN Department of Peace Operations during a meeting in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (right) shakes hand with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the UN Department of Peace Operations during a meeting in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met Monday with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the UN Department of Peace Operations, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping, the foreign ministry said.

Cho reaffirmed that South Korea will continue to contribute to UN peacekeeping as a major troop and financial supporter, while proposing closer cooperation in the fields of peace and security, the ministry said in a release.

He also asked for the UN Secretariat's support to ensure continued opportunities for South Koreans to enter international organizations.

Lacroix thanked South Korea for its contributions, citing the deployment of the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon and the Hanbit Unit in South Sudan, as well as financial assistance for UN peace efforts, and expressed hope for expanding cooperation, it noted.

The UN department is tasked with overseeing UN peacekeeping missions, including disarmament, conflict prevention and the maintenance of public order, in regions transitioning from conflict to peace. (Yonhap)