New U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has received a congratulatory message from the late North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun.

The United Nations said that the message arrived from North Korea's U.N. mission after Ban expressed his condolences following the death of Pyongyang’s top diplomat.

The U.N. added that its new chief will send the North Korean government a thank you letter for the congratulatory message - Pyongyang’s first official recognition of Ban's taking office.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency Wednesday announced the death of Minister Paek without saying how and when he died.