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Korea will field Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as a candidate for leadership of the UN to replace Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose term ends in the second half of this year. The decision was made last December but the government delayed making it public to avoid prejudicing Ban¡¯s candidacy.
¡°I humbly accept the nomination, which is based on the nation¡¯s strength on the global stage and on public support,¡± Ban told reporters Tuesday. The UN secretary-general is the world body¡¯s chief administrative officer in charge of 3,000 UN staff. He earns US$200,000-300,000 a year and is treated on a level with heads of state around the world.
Dubbed the CEO of the international community, the secretary-general also has a role to play as a mediator in international conflicts in a post symbolic of the global community¡¯s administrative, political and moral authority.
Government officials give Ban a 50:50 chance of being elected. Given the principle of rotation by continent, it is theoretically Asia¡¯s turn, but on the continent Ban is up against Thai Vice Premier Surakiart Sathirathai, who has the support of ASEAN. The AFP news agency reports Surakiart and Ban are the ¡°leading¡± candidates. Singapore¡¯s former prime minister Goh Chok Tong is also reportedly in the running.
However, the U.S. has recently come out against rotation by continent and could support a candidate from Eastern Europe. A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said the U.S. was also not helping in another sense since Seoul¡¯s alliance with Washington could make Ban suspect to other members of the UN Security Council, who could exercise their veto in the belief that he will side only with the U.S.
China, which is on the Security Council, has warned it will veto any non-Asian candidates. France is sticking to a notion that the secretary-general must speak French, and Ban is reportedly learning what was once the language of international diplomacy.
Another disadvantage for Ban is that Korea is $130 million in arrears in UN membership dues. Even government officials say it is ¡°like a billionaire trying to get a top government post without paying his taxes.¡± The government has promised to pay up soon.
North Korea is another factor. A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said, ¡°We informed North Korea of Ban¡¯s candidacy separately but haven¡¯t received a response.¡±
North Korea may think twice about Ban¡¯s candidacy. Any increase in South Korea¡¯s international standing could mean problems for Pyongyang, but Seoul could counter North Korean objections by pointing to the plentiful help it has given the North. Pyongyang would probably prefer to work behind the scenes by urging its ally China to support the ASEAN candidate.
What happens in the deadlock over North Korea¡¯s nuclear program over the next few months could also have a decisive influence. If the six-party talks resume and North Korea is willing to open up further, Ban¡¯s candidacy could gain momentum. But if the matter ends up being referred to the Security Council for resolution, it could deal a fatal blow to South Korea¡¯s bid.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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