U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, globe-trotting for numerous events, held a "special" meeting here Wednesday with another South Korean leader in a U.N. agency.

Ban visited the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organization and got together with its chief Lim Ki-tack.

"Here, there are two South Korean secretary-generals working at U.N. organizations," Ban said.

Lim assumed the post at the start of the year, becoming the third South Korean to lead a major U.N. agency after Ban and Lee Jong-wook, who served as the director-general of the World Health Organization between 2003 and 2006.

The IMO is working on safety, security and environmental issues in the international shipping industry. 

Ban requested the IMO help handle the migrant crisis, especially in efforts to rescue refugees from boat sinking incidents in the Mediterranean Sea.

He also noted the significance of the IMO's role in the fight against climate change amid a campaign to enhance energy efficiency of ships.

Ban, formerly Seoul's top diplomat, is on a visit here to attend an international conference on aiding Syrian refugees. (Yonhap)