National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug met with the chief of the International Labor Organization(ILO) and asked for his support in South Korea's bid for the ILO leadership.

Assembly Speaker Park made the call during a meeting with Director-General Guy Ryder on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is running for the post, with the election set for March next year. If elected, Kang will be the first Asian and the first woman to become the ILO chief. 

In the meeting with the current ILO chief, Park reportedly said in the age requiring a transition to justice, the world needs to address labor issues involving the youth and vulnerable groups more than ever. He said Kang will be a voice for the voiceless, who can defend the rights of the weak. 

In response, Ryder reportedly said that as the incumbent ILO director-general, he must take a neutral position, but he had worked with Kang in Geneva and is well aware of her qualifications and capabilities.