U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is a career diplomat from the Republic of Korea, who in October 2006 was elected Secretary General of the United Nations. He had previously served in a variety of diplomatic positions with the South Korean foreign ministry, culminating in a two year stint as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His is the second man from Asia to hold the top job at the U.N, U Thant of Burma (now Myanmar) having been the first.
While granting his competence and administrative skills, some consider him to be dull and colorless. His nickname is “Ban-chusa”, which refers to a bureaucrat or administrative clerk. He has also been nicknamed “slippery eel” by the South Korean press for his “diplomatic” refusal to be pinned down on issues. A leak from the Norwegian government during his campaign for the Secretary Generalship called him “spineless and colorless”, but few would agree with that characterization.
Ban Ki-moon is direct in his response to criticism that he lacks the stature oy charisma of his predecessor Kofi Annan. “Some Westerners may say I look soft and not pushy. But I remind them that an unreasonably strong character doesn’t win respect.”
“Modesty is about demeanor,” he said, “not about vision and goals. It does not mean the lack of commitment or leadership.”
While some question his leadership, no one doubts his dedication or work ethic. He once wrote a letter of apology to more than 100 of is fellow Foreign Ministry colleagues for being promoted over them.
Early in his tenure at the U.N., he brought criticism for an autocratic style and for what some member states thought was a failure to consult adequately with representatives from smaller nations, but he has since mended fences and become more democratic in his leadership style.
His tenure at the United Nations has been most notable for its emphasis on Darfur and global warming, and indeed he tied the two crises together in a Washington Post op-ed, linking civil war in Darfur to draught brought on by climate change.
Ban Ki-moon has shown little reluctance to stand up to the United States for its recalcitrance in confronting carbon emmisions leading to global warming, comparing the issue to the nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
“For my generation, coming of age at the height of the Cold War, fear of nuclear winter seemed the leading existential threat on the horizon. But the danger posed by war to all humanity—and to our planet—is at least matched by climate change.”
Ban Ki-Moon Biography
Ban Ki-moon was born on June 13, 1944. One New York Times report lists his hometown as Sadong Village #1, a tiny hamlet of only 100 inhabitants, while another says he was born in Eumseong. At any rate, he spent most of his youth in nearby Cheongju. His mother, Shin Hyun-sun attributes his success to good karma created by hard work and generosity.
Ban Ki-moon and his classmates learned English the hard way, writing the same sentences 10 times to aid memorization. He improved his English by conversing with American advisers at a nearby fertilizer factory, which he walked three and a half miles each day to reach. This dilligence paid off when he won an English language contest in 1962, the prize for which was a trip to the United States to meet President John Kennedy.
Ban Ki-moon earned a bachelors degree in international relations from Seoul National University and later gained a master’s in public administration from Harvard University.
Early in his career he turned down a prestigious assignment in the United States in favor of a posting in India that allowed him to save more of his salary to send back to his parents.
He was twice posted to the South Korean diplomatic mission in Washington, and was director general of American affairs for his country’s Foreign Ministry.
He was once fired from a position at the Foreign Affairs Ministry for carelessly leaving a sentence of support for the anti-ballistic missile treaty in a communique after President Bush had announce the U.S. opposition to the treaty. The mistake turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Expecting to be shunted off to some third world backwater, he instead was given a position at the United Nations, where he built the contacts and support base that later enabled his election as Secretary General.
In South Korea Ban Ki-moon has a reputation as a skillful diplomat who refuses to become embroiled in petty political squabbles. ”Everybody was caught up in controversy with what they said to the media, but I avoided the tricky, sometimes nasty, questions,” he said. “The press people called me the ’slippery eel’ because they could never grab me.”
Ban ki-Moon is married the former Yoo Soon Taek, whom he met in high school. The couple have two children.
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