By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unban1ktpc020910.html
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 9, updated Feb. 11 -- The schedule of photo opportunities by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for February 9 contained only one item, a 10 a.m. courtesy call with his new Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallstrom. Then at 9:40 a.m. in an alert to UN correspondents, another item was added: a 5:20 p.m. photo op with the head of the Korea Tourism Promotion Corporation, Lee Cham.
Several correspondents scratched their heads, asking Inner City Press by e-mail what to make of the addition. Ban Ki-moon has complained that the media unfairly portrays him as playing to an audience in his home country, South Korea. Most recently, his top adviser Kim Won-soo gave an exclusive on the record interview to JoongAng Ilbo, while eschewing such interaction with non-Korean press. [Update of February 11 -- Ms. Soung-ah Choi has stated, on the record, that JoongAng Ilbo did not have an exclusive interview with Kim Won-soo." There's more to this, but that for now is the on the record version.]
Why then would Ban Ki-moon so openly not only meet with a Korean tourism group, but seek to publicize the meeting with a photo op? To find out, Inner City Press went to cover the photo op. Camera in hand, Inner City Press waited on the ground floor of the UN's new building, dubbed UN-KIA or Bantanamo.
A UN photographer arrived, and Inner City Press traveled up in the elevator with him. On the third, executive floor, Inner City Press submitted to a screening with an electronic wand, and agreed to leave a laptop out in the anteroom.
But just before the photo op began, Mr. Ban's South Korean spokesperson Ms. Choi Soung-ah came up, as the UN's own photographers were entering, and announced that Inner City Press could not enter. You'll have to wait for MALU, she said, referring to the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit.
It was obvious to all that MALU would not arrive on time. So to cite this rule was to exclude Inner City Press from the photo op that the UN itself has publicized.
Afterwards, Inner City Press requested from the UN Spokesperson's Office a read out of Ban's meeting with the Korean Tourism Promotion Council. Four hours after the meeting and the request, no read out was provided. [Update: one was finally received on February 11, see below.] Nor was the UN Photo shot of Ban and the Korea Tourism official put on UN.org. [This remained true as of 2 p.m. on February 11.] So who was the photo op for? Watch this site.
Footnote: while some correspondents wondered why Ms. Choi Soung-ah (or Soung-ah Choi) was in the Executive Office while more senior spokespeople were six blocks south in their space under the cafeteria, it is perhaps explained by Ms. Choi's stated jurisdiction: Asia including Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Also earlier on Tuesday, chief Spokesperson Martin Nesirky has said that "within hours" Ban would be calling Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa, presumably to express concern about crack down on opponents and the press.
After the Korean Tourism meeting, Ban had still not made the call, and four hours later, still no read out had been provided. The read out will have to be approved, Inner City Press was told. By who -- Ms. Choi? Mr. Pascoe and Mr. Kim are in North Korea. So could it be DPA's Hitoki Den? We'll have more on this. [See February 10 update, here.]
Update of February 11 -- the following read-out was received by Inner City Press from Soung-ah Choi on February 11 (it may have been sent before then, but the reason for the delay is, at Ms. Choi's request, "off the record") --
Mr. Lee Cham, President of the Korea Tourism Organization, paid a courtesy call on the Secretary-General this afternoon.
The two discussed the economic impact of tourism - both inbound and outbound - on developed and developing countries, and the significant contributions it can have on the global economy and development.
The Secretary-General highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism, and the management of resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity. This, while helping to generate income, employment, and the conservation of local ecosystems.
An update was also provided at the February 11 UN noon briefing about the North Korea trip of Mr. Pascoe, Mr. Kim and other others: the gift they brought for Kim Jong-Il was a leather bound copy of the UN Charter in all six of the Organization's working languages...And see, www.innercitypress.com/unban1ktpc020910.html
