It’s official: Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, is running for Secretary-General.
Today’s Korea Times gives a worshipful profile of the man who would be SG, declaring that “those who know the real nature of the 61-year-old man never stop talking about his ‘spell,’ which leaves almost all the people unable to resist loving him at their first encounter.” Oy.
The New York Times on Monday provided a more sober assessment of the race, suggesting that as far as the declared candidates go, “if history is a guide, it is likely that none of them will emerge the winner and that the person who does is not being publicly discussed.” Still, considering that there have only been seven SGs so far, history is a limited guide.
The race, for now, is wide open, and Minister Ban’s hat is in the ring.