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New UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is bringing fresh ideas to the world body, beginning with the introduction of the Korean style of hard work. Ban showed up for work at 8 a.m. Wednesday, an hour and a half earlier than the typical start time. Insiders say Ban's early working hours, a well known feature of his tenure as foreign minister, may compel UN staff to lengthen their working day as they follow suit.
In addition to the new hours, Ban plans to require high-ranking UN officials to reveal their personal property, as high-ranking Korean officials do, in an effort to eradicate corruption. The measure would require some 200 senior officials to reveal their personal property on the UN website. Calls for the UN to enhance staff integrity swelled after two senior UN officials were alleged to have used their influence improperly while carrying out a UN-sponsored oil-for-food program in Iraq. The officials were said to have helped a specific company win a contract to import oil from Iraq under the program, which allowed the Middle East country to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian needs. Currently, staff report their property to the UN without making it public. Insiders said Ban will lead the UN reform campaign himself, as he believes the effort should start from his office.
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New UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shakes hands with a UN worker while having lunch at the staff cafeteria at the world body headquarters in New York Tuesday. /AP-Yonhap
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Meanwhile, Ban appeared at the UN staff cafeteria without notice for lunch Tuesday, his first day as Secretary-General.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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