"Our entry as a nonpermanent member with the consent of 180 nations out of 192 UN member states is a victory of global diplomacy," the Yonhap news agency quoted Lee as saying.
On Tuesday, South Korea won the seat for a two-year term at the UNSC after garnering over two-thirds of the votes from the countries attending the general assembly.
South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook told reporters that Seoul "will do our best to contribute to world peace, freedom and prosperity through diplomacy based on universal values, the principles of the UN Charter and by expanding cooperation with developing countries," as quoted by South Korea news agecy.
The new election marks the third time when South Korea won the non-permanent member seat. Currently, there are 10 non-permanent members, namely Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. Previously, Seoul won the seat in 2013-2014 and 1996-1997.
As a new non-permanent member, Seoul is expected to enhance its ability to better address global security challenges.