meet the u.n. secretary general

by annie chung

In a town called Chungju, in the South Korean province of Chungcheong, no one would have imagined that a hometown boy named Ban Ki Moon born in 1944 would sixty-two years later grow up to become the eighth United Nations Secretary General. With current UN Secretary General Kofi Anan stepping down after his two five-year terms, the United Nations has formally announced South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ki Moon Ban as Anan’s successor. It has already been thirty years since the last appointment of an Asian Secretary General, with the last being Burmese U Thant during 1961-1971.

For the average world citizen, the name Ban Ki Moon is unlikely to ring a bell. Who is this man and where did he come from? According to Ban, his dream of becoming a diplomat all started in 1962, when he was the young age of 18 years old when he attended a program sponsored by the American Red Cross, on which he had the chance to meet President John F. Kennedy. With this dream, he pursued a B.A. in International Relations at Seoul University in 1970 and then continued his education at Harvard University receiving his Masters in Policy Planning.

During this time of tension with North Korea’s nuclear program, the United Nations seems to have chosen the perfect intermediary to succeed Anan. The United Nations this time around may not be looking for an aggressive diplomat, but rather an administrator, a role for which Ban has garnered international regard. Among the five permanent United Nation powers, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Russian Federation, and China, China has had a long history of communication with North Korea. Ban’s electoral victory, however, has not proven troublesome to the burgeoning world power, as China has shown support for the Secretary General-elect. As the clichéd saying goes, “actions speak louder than words,” and although Ban may have a passive demeanor, his past experience, as both chairman on the Nuclear Treaty Ban Organization in 1999 as well as the South Korean Ambassador in Austria illustrate his deft administrative skills. Ban’s previous involvement in international affairs and his own personal connection to North Korea will hopefully facilitate a proper response to the present North Korean nuclear issue.

Yet many view Ban’s appointment as a way for the United Nations choosing the least of three evils. The two other Asian candidates Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand and Shashi Tharoor of India. Due to recent conflicts in both countries from military coups and international conflict with Pakistan, many speculate that choosing Ban was a decision nothing more than just playing it safe. Recent Berkeley graduate Eugene Lee, former research committee executive for Liberty in North Korea, believes that the origins of the new Secretary General may only complicate the situation. “Take it as you will, but North Korea tested their nuclear weapons on the day Ban Ki Moon’s victory was announced,” Lee noted. “Moon is now in a very difficult position, for on one hand he will have to impartially engage the North, but as a South Korean, realize the danger to his own country. Nuclear weapons, human rights, and the possibility of full scale war are now issues the international community has to face on the Korean Peninsula, and Ban Ki Moon will be the advocate who will vocalize these concerns. The fact that he’s a South Korean does not help the situation; it only reminds the world of the political division in Korea.”

Ban continues his efforts in preparing for his office, admist a mix of responses ranging from public enthusiasm to wary skepticism. At the end of October, talks began between China’s President Hu Jintao, Ban and China’s envoy to North Korea, Tang Jiaxuan. In contrast to his passive, administrative approach, Ban was noted for stressing the need to put pressure on North Korea while approaching the issue in a peaceful way by going back to the six-party talks. Although negotiations with North Korea looms over Ban’s tenure as the next Secretary General, China’s support may give Ban a diplomatic edge.

Since North Korea has clearly voiced their lack of hesitation in conducting nuclear tests, the United Nations in my opinion might bite their tongue in saying they would rather have an “administrator” than a “diplomat.” Ban even states that he will actively pursue enforcing the sanctions on North Korea that the United Nations have already placed. United Nations superpowers might expectt Ban to come in quietly, but I expect Ban to begin his tenure as Secretary General with a bang.

Key Appointments in Ban Ki Moon’s Career