South Korea Elected to ICAO Council for Ninth Consecutive Term Since 2001

by Son Seonhee

Published 01 Oct.2025 09:30(KST)

South Korea has successfully secured its ninth consecutive term as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council. The term of office is three years.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 1, South Korea was elected as a council member with a three-year term at the 42nd ICAO Assembly Council election held in Montreal, Canada, the previous day (local time). Out of 183 participating countries, South Korea received a total of 158 votes. This marks the ninth consecutive election since South Korea first became a council member in 2001.

Amid intensifying global competition in the aviation sector, this achievement was made possible through cooperation not only among government ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseas diplomatic missions, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but also with public institutions like airport corporations and private airlines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "This result reaffirms the trust ICAO member states have in our country," adding, "It demonstrates that our continuous efforts to enhance aviation safety, security, and service development have received broad support from the international community, further solidifying our status as a leading aviation nation."

The ICAO Council is the organization's highest decision-making body, covering legislative, administrative, and judicial functions such as setting policy directions in international aviation, determining international standards, and mediating aviation disputes. Thirty-six council members are elected by member states every three years. The council election is divided into Part 1 (major aviation countries, 11 seats), Part 2 (major contributors to air navigation facilities, 12 seats), and Part 3 (regional representatives, 13 seats). After election, all council members work with equal authority regardless of their part.

However, in this election, Russia, which ran for Part 1, was not elected, resulting in 10 countries in Part 1 and 14 countries in Part 3. The countries elected as Part 3 council members include South Korea, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mali, Belize, Morocco, Cuba, Poland, Malaysia, Ecuador, Uganda, and Uruguay.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "With this ninth consecutive term on the ICAO Council, we will strive to further strengthen our status and influence in the international aviation community." The official added, "We plan to expand specialized training programs for aviation professionals from developing countries and continue to make both tangible and intangible contributions, such as actively supporting ICAO's efforts for aviation safety and decarbonization."