A former South Korean trade minister has been appointed a new member of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement body, officials said Thursday.

Kim Hyun-chong was elected one of seven members of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on Wednesday (local time) and will serve a four-year term, succeeding another South Korean, Chang Seung-wha.

The DSB is a body under the WTO which makes the final decision on trade disputes between governments that are adjudicated by the organization.

Kim's term begins on Dec. 1 and he can be reappointed after his first term ends, the officials said.

Zhao Hong of China was also elected a new member, joining five others from the United States, Belgium, India, Mauritius and Mexico.

Kim, who formerly served as a trade minister in the early 2000s, participated in closing South Korea's free trade agreement with the U.S. He currently works as a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. (Yonhap)