It seems like an unwritten law of South Korean politics that every politician has a relative involved in a corruption scandal:
As secretary general of the UN, Mr Ban has played a central role in international politics and diplomatic negotiations
US prosecutors have charged relatives of former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with conspiracy to bribe a government official.
Mr Ban’s younger brother and his nephew stand accused of offering money to a Middle Eastern official, through an American middleman.
They allege the two men bribed the official to use state funds to buy their building project.
Mr Ban served as UN secretary general from 2007 until 2016.
He was succeeded by former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres on 1 January 2017. Mr Ban is now being seen as a possible future president in his home country of South Korea. [BBC]
Due to the Choi scandal the Saenuri Party name seems to be quite radioactive for anyone thinking of running for Korea’s next President to include even Ban Ki-moon:
The political firestorm threatening the presidency of Park Geun-hye is now jeopardizing longtime frontrunner UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s chance in next year’s presidential race.
According to Realmeter’s latest poll, announced on Monday, Ban was supported as the next president by 20.9 percent in the fourth week of October, down by 1.3 percentage points from the previous week.
Moon Jae-in, former chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea, who was defeated by President Park in the 2012 race, was ranked second with 20.3 percent, up by 1.4 percentage points.
While Ban managed to remain the frontrunner for 13 consecutive weeks, the 0.6-percentage-point gap against Moon is within a margin of error.
Ban has never formally declared his bid, but Park loyalists in the Saenuri Party have enthusiastically expressed their desire to recruit him as their presidential candidate.
His tenure at the United Nations ends at the end of this year, and Ban said in September that he will return to Korea in January and address the people.
The latest poll was conducted from Monday to Friday of last week, and President Park and the Saenuri Party’s plummeting support was reflected in Ban’s popularity in the aftermath of the corruption scandal involving Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
This poll I think isn’t too surprising considering Ban Ki-moon’s name recognition within Korea and the fact he really isn’t tied to any bad scandals which makes him a safe pick in most people’s minds for President:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon led in the latest support poll for South Korea’s next potential president, giving him yet another hopeful sign that he could defeat all other seasoned politicians now busy gearing up for the country’s highest office in next year’s election.
Ban topped the poll conducted by the JoongAng Ilbo of 1,000 adults nationwide by receiving 32.7 percent support from eligible voters, nearly twice that of Moon Jae-in’s 17.3 percent.
Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party received 8.1 percent while Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon received 4.2 percent, trailed by former Saenuri chairman Kim Moo-sung with 3.9 percent. Former Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon garnered 3.7 percent, followed by former Gyeonggi governor Sohn Hak-kyu with 3.2 percent.
The JoongAng’s poll, conducted on Sept. 20 and 21 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, comes at a time of growing speculation over whether Ban will declare his bid for presidential office upon completing his second term at the United Nations at the end of this year. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
Yeah, good luck with this especially in South Korea where Internet mud slinging is almost a national past time:
Ahead of its official launch, a special interest group supporting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked similar groups linked with other potential presidential candidates to agree not to maliciously attack or slander each other.
The group, named Banditburi, or firefly in Korean (a play on the UN chief’s surname), is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on Nov. 10.
Banditburi has reached out to groups that support liberals Moon Jae-in, the former chairman of the main opposition Minjoo Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, former chairman of the People’s Party, to agree to avoid any mudslinging ahead of next year’s presidential elections.
Kim Sung-hee, chairman of the preparatory committee to launch the group for Ban, told the JoongAng Ilbo over phone on Wednesday, “We asked other groups supporting key potential presidential contenders, including the opposition’s Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo, as well as the ruling party’s Kim Moo-sung [former chairman of the Saenuri Party], to forge a gentlemen’s agreement.”
He continued, “The political scene is messy as is, so we proposed that at least groups like ours should not engage in slander or malicious comments online, or muckraking of any kind.” [Joong Ang Ilbo]
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (L) visits the home of Libba Patterson, whom he refers to as his “American mom,” in San Francisco, California, on Aug. 11, 2016. Patterson hosted teenager Ban at her home when he traveled to the United States in 1962 on a student visit program. Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, ends his 10 years as the U.N. chief at the end of this year. Standing behind them is Ban’s wife, Yoo Soon-taek. (Photo courtesy of the United Nations)
It looks like if Ban Ki-moon wants the job as President of South Korea, it is his to lose:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pays his respects to seniors at the Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang, on Sunday. [JOINT PRESS COPRS]UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon led all potential presidential contenders in a poll after he made the strongest hint yet of a possible run in next year’s election.
In a poll conducted by the JoongAng Ilbo on Friday and Saturday of 1,000 eligible voters nationwide, respondents were asked who they would like to see as Korea’s next president. Ban topped the list with 28.4 percent, followed by Moon Jae-in of the Minjoo Party of Korea with 16.2 percent. Ahn Cheol-soo, co-leader of the People’s Party, came in third with 11.9 percent.
The poll was seen as a testament to Ban’s far-reaching appeal to voters and a favorable image formed by his 10-year leadership of the United Nations.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who expressed an objection to Ban running, citing a UN resolution that calls on UN chiefs to refrain from taking government jobs, came in fourth with 7.2 percent, trailed by former Saenuri Chairman Kim Moo-sung with 4.2 percent.
In a three-way race with Moon and Ahn, both from the liberal bloc, Ban was far ahead of the two, with 45.7 percent of support, while Moon received 24.6 percent and Ahn had 20.1 percent. Of all respondents, 9.7 percent said they didn’t have a favorite. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read the rest at the link.
I have always liked Ban Ki-moon because when he was the foreign minister of South Korea he was the voice of sanity during the administration of Roh Moo-hyun. Even during the fervent anti-American years Ban Ki-moon would still visit US military installations in Korea to thank US servicemembers for their service. With that all said he is running the UN about as I expected. Ban is a consensus builder and not a change agent. He can run things low key and competently within an established framework which right now it appears this is what Korean voters want for their President.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would definitely have the highest profile of any of the ROK Presidential candidates if he did decide to run:
Ban Ki-moon
Speculation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s presidential bid in South Korea has resurfaced after news reports on his possible visit to North Korea.
Ban’s spokesman said earlier this week that discussions are under way regarding a constructive role he might play in the Korean Peninsula situation and that talks are under way to set up what would be the secretary general’s first visit to the North.
Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, has been voted as one of the most popular possible contenders, though he has disavowed rumors that he has interest in running in the 2017 presidential election.
He has repeatedly said he is not interested in South Korean politics, noting that he wants to spend time taking care of his grandchildren after his retirement. [The Korea Times]
Is this the first time that someone from the UN has advocated for the use of near slave labor?:
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday he will visit the inter-Korean industrial complex in North Korea’s border city of Kaesong this week to help ease inter-Korean tensions.
“I reiterate my willingness to do whatever it takes to contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Ban said during a press conference at the World Education Forum in Songdo, west of Seoul.
On Thursday, Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, will be the first U.N. chief to visit the complex, which has been symbolic of inter-Korean reconciliation since its launch in 2004. He will also be the first U.N. chief to visit North Korea in more than 20 years.
“The Kaesong project is a win-win model for both Koreas,” he said. “It symbolizes a good way to tap the advantages of the Koreas in a complementary manner.” [Yonhap]
Now the UN Secretary General has been dragged into the corruption probe which is one of the biggest stories of the year in South Korea:
Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has denied media reports stating that he had an amicable relationship with a late construction tycoon who claimed to have provided money to politicians for years, attempting to distance himself from a snowballing political scandal in his home country.
In an interview on Thursday with Yonhap News Agency shortly after meeting with U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Ban denied alleged ties to Sung Wan-jong.
Shortly before his death, Sung, the former chairman of Keangnam Enterprises and a former lawmaker, said that he had put money into the pockets of top politicians and government officials for years, and also claimed to be one of Ban’s patrons.
“This scandal has nothing to do with me,” Ban told Yonhap News. “I saw him at a few public events, but there was no special relationship.”
“I have no interest in Korean politics, and I don’t have time to pay attention to it,” Ban added. “I have made this position clear in the past, and I am baffled to be facing this situation again.”
Despite Ban’s continued denials that he will begin a political career in Korea after his tenure at the United Nations is complete, speculations have lingered at home that he is being groomed by opposition lawmakers to run in the 2017 presidential race. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read the rest at the link, but Sung Wan-jong has a long history of bragging about his special relationship with Ban Ki-moon.
I think this just shows how powerful name recognition can be in a national election because I cannot think of one thing Ban Ki-moon has done at the United Nations that is noteworthy other than being the first Asian Secretary General:
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s confidants have sounded out the possibility of Ban’s running for president in his native South Korea, an opposition politician claimed Monday, despite Ban’s apparent objection to get involved in local politics.
Ban’s second five-year term is set to end at the end of 2016, a year before South Koreans go to the polls to elect a new president who will replace President Park Geun-hye.
Park’s single five-year term ends in early 2018, and by law, she cannot seek re-election.
Kwon Roh-kap, an adviser to the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, claimed people seen as confidants to Ban discussed the possibility of Ban’s running for South Korea’s top office on the opposition ticket.
He said he told Ban’s confidants that he respects the U.N. chief and that the opposition should ask Ban to join the party and compete in the party’s primary for the presidential nomination for the election. [Yonhap]
