Foreign minister Ban Ki Moon has officially declared his candidacy for secretary general of the United Nations, the term for which begins on 1 January of next year. It is too early to be able to predict whether he will be elected and even when the new secretary general will be chosen, but the fact that he is rising to the challenge and that there is considerable international interest in his candidacy shows you that Korea has become a commanding member of the international community.
We believe Ban's candidacy will increase Korea's contributions to the process of realizing the historic goals of peaceful coexistence on the Korean peninsula and in East Asia and the whole world. In addition, the nature of the selection process also becomes an assessment of Ban's diplomatic abilities demonstrated amid the heightened tensions in East Asia surrounding the North Korean nuclear issue.
Nevertheless, it would not be good for the government to make Ban's election to the post its top foreign policy goal and engage in an all out effort to make it happen. The reality is that the United Nations secretary general has always been whoever is the least opposed by the permanent members of the Security Council, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the past, candidates from Burma, Ghana, Egypt, and Peru were chosen as a consequence of the interests of the powerful nations on the Security Council. Drawing links between Korea's standing on the world stage and whether or not Ban becomes general secretary is nothing more than a doctrine of "national interest" that is entirely out of touch with diplomatic realities. Even if Ban's candidacy fails, that would just be because the permanent members of the Security Council have complicated interests surrounding Korea.
It looks like the biggest variable Ban faces is support from the U.S. and China. Winning the support of both countries would be a green light for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and establishing a structure of peace for the Korean peninsula. One hopes to see him demonstrate what he's capable of, because compromise by the U.S. and China is essential for stability and sustainable growth in East Asia.
The Hankyoreh, 15 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] FM Ban Running for UN Secretary General |
