Ban to receive Olympic Order

Ban Ki-moon (AP-Yonhap News)

Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean-born U.N. secretary-general, will receive the highest medal given by the International Olympic Committee for his contribution to the Olympic Movement, IOC officials said Thursday.

The IOC said in a statement that Ban will be awarded the Olympic Order in gold. The decision was reached at the conclusion of the IOC’s final executive board meeting.

The Olympic Order, which was established in 1975, is awarded for distinguished contribution to the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Charter states that the goal of the Olympic Movement is to “contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport.”

According to the Korean Olympic Committee, previous South Korean winners of the Olympic Order include Lee Kun-hee, a member of the IOC and chairman of Samsung Electronics; Park Seh-jik, the late head of the 1988 Seoul Olympics organizing committee; and former Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung. (Yonhap News)