DUSHANBE, December 21, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon yesterday congratulated Ms. Park Geun-hye on her election as the next President of the Republic of Korea, the Tajik president’s official website reports.

In his message of congratulations, Emomali Rahmon, in particular, noted that Tajikistan attached significant importance to expansion of bilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea.

Tajik leader also expressed satisfaction that trust relations had been established between the two countries at international level.

Ms. Park Geun-hye became South Korea’s first female president on Wednesday.

The 18th South Korean presidential election was held on December 19, 2012. It was the sixth presidential election since democratization and the establishment of the Sixth Republic, and was held under a first-past-the-post system, in which there was a single round of voting and the candidate receiving the highest number of votes was elected.  Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term in office.  The term of incumbent president Lee Myung-bak will end in February 24, 2013.