New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Wednesday with a compatriot, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who promised to increase Seoul's participation in the United Nations commensurate with its economic resources.

The protocol obliged Ban to speak to Lee in English, which Lee received in Korean through a translator. Another translator gave Ban the English version of Lee's Korean.

The conversation went well, said Ban, who was South Korea's foreign minister until his election to the UN top position in January, 1997.

"I was very much encouraged by his strong commitment to work more for all UN activities," Ban told reporters after the meeting with Lee.

He said Lee would devote his government's resources to assist the UN in peacekeeping operations as well as increasing funding for development and fight poverty worldwide.

Ban said the two also discussed North Korea's nuclear issues and how to better promote Seoul's ties with Pyongyang. (dpa)