By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 28 -- When the new Permanent Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Ja Song Nam came to the UN to hand his credentials to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, there were more than ten camera-people who arrived 30 minutes early to attend.
In the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit it was said this was the most interest in the UN's 38th floor since the last General Assembly debate in September 2013.
Inner City Press had asked if outgoing Permanent Representative Sin Son Ho had made any farewell courtesy call on Ban Ki-moon, formerly South Korea's foreign minister. No, was the answer.
Along with ten other camera-people, Inner City Press was screened by electronic wand and a sniffing dog; there was a forty five minute waiting period first on the 37th floor then on 38 in the "Brian Urquhart Room," complete with a miniature Security Council donated by Mozambique and a small model tank given by Pakistan.
Finally the photo gaggle was called into Ban's conference room. The Under Secretary General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, from China, was there, as was Ban's senior advisor Kim Won-soo.
Ja Song Nam was ushered in and counseled by Ban's chief of protocol. Then Ban entered from his office, shook hands and exchanged some few words in Korean with Ja Song Nam.
Kim Won-soo said, in English, congratulations. Then they went back into Ban's office, and the camera-people were asked to leave. Is it a new era? Watch this site.
