Inner City Press Asks UN Of South Korea's Kim Jong-pil Saying Ban Will Run for President, Runaround

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 7  -- What has Ban Ki-moon turned the UN into, as he seeks to run for President of South Korea? On October 7, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here

Inner City Press: there's been a number of media outlets in South Korea that have quoted former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil, who has met with Ban Ki-moon and is viewed as a supporter and ally.  He has been quoted on the record saying Ban Ki-moon has made up his mind and is running for president.  So I wanted to know, when's the last time the Secretary-General spoke with Mr. Kim Jong-pil?  Because it becomes important to know to assess the credibility of his statement of Mr. Ban's intentions.

Deputy Spokesman:  On this, as we have made very clear, the Secretary-General has spoken, he is going to work as Secretary-General and continue to concentrate his energies on being Secretary-General of the United Nations until the end of his mandate.  He'll make his decision after that.

Question:  Right.  So he's wrong.  So his ally is not…

Deputy Spokesman:  That is what the Secretary-General has said.  Have a good weekend, everyone.

On October 3 Inner City Press asked Haq about a political party's offer to Ban, UN transcript here: 

Inner City Press: there was a proposal today, or a lawproposed and announced by the Saenuri Party in South Korea, which would provide, quote, privileges or benefits to the Secretary-General when he leaves here, which would include a bodyguard, office, security, secretary.  And so some have raised… is there any provision for this?  Is this consistent with UN ethics rules in terms of a country offering these things to a sitting UN official?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, regarding that, you'd have to ask the officials in South Korea what their arrangements are.  This is… obviously, the Secretary-General doesn't accept these favours in his time as Secretary-General.  I wouldn't have any comment on his post-Secretary-General career.

  On September 30, a concert in the UN pitched as only about South Korea's 25th anniversary at a UN member was converted into an event for Ban Ki-moon's legacy.

Oh Joon, who has spoken about Ban and South Korea's presidency, was there, as was Ban's male personal assistant and his spouse (but not Ms Eun Ha Kim.) UN officials Adlerstein and Dieng, Ombudsman and successor candidate Helen Clark were there. Some Ambassadors showed up at the top and then left; Kazakhstan, we note, stuck it out.

The music was great - but, it was disclosed, paid for by investment bank G C Andersen. Ban cited Han Seung-soo, who he's let be a UN official while on the boards of directors of Doosan and Standard Chartered Bank. (Inner City Press asked the new President of the General Asssembly about this on September 30, here).

  Ban's nepotism has come to the fore, but his polling is up, and he'd headed on the road. We will cover it, watch this site.