A South Korean has been elected the new president of the International Skating Union(ISU), becoming the first non-European to head the world skating governing body.

Kim Jae-youl, a member of the ISU Council, won the election held during the 58th ISU Congress in Phuket, Thailand on Friday.

According to the Korea Skating Union, Kim won 77 out of 119 votes. His term will run through 2026.

Following the election, the 53-year-old said that sports have the power to transcend borders and ethnicity to unite the world.

He pledged to take South Korea's example as an economic, cultural and sports powerhouse and deliver a message of hope, encouragement and success to countries around the world that have been marginalized in winter sports.

Kim has been serving on the ISU Council, the skating union's executive body, since 2016. He was previously president of the ​Korea Skating Union and vice chairman of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee.