Ban Ki-moon

Ex-UN chief lauds Kenya's regional peace initiatives

Nairobi - Arab Today

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday commended the role Kenya is playing in promoting regional peace especially in Somalia and South Sudan. Ban specifically thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for his personal initiatives in the search for peace in South Sudan as well as the restoration of stability in Somalia, said a statement issued in Nairobi after theRead more

Provincial governor surges in South Korea presidential race

Seoul - Arab Today

A provincial governor nicknamed after a leading boy-band is surging in South Korean presidential polls following former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon's announcement that he would not run in an election that could come within months. Governor An Hee-jung is seen as a down-to-earth, uncomplicated politician, traits that could serve him well in a nation roiled by December's impeachment ofRead more

South Korean acting president rises to 2nd place

Seoul - Arab Today

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as acting president, rose to the second place in recent presidential survey, benefitting from former UN chief's withdrawal from the presidential bid. According to a Realmeter poll released on Thursday, Hwang garnered 15.9 percent in the opinion poll this week, up 3.5 percentage points from the previous week. The resultRead more

South Korean opposition party keeps top post in polls after ex-UN chief's drop in presidential bid

Seoul - ArabToday

Moon Jae-in, former head of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party, kept his top post by a wide margin after former UN chief Ban Ki-moon dropped his bid for presidential race, local media reported on Thursday. Ban, the career South Korean diplomat whose second, five-year tenure in the top UN post terminated at the end of last year, returned to hisRead more

Ban Ki Moon says will not run for S. Korea presidency

Beijing - Arab Today

Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon abruptly ended his attempt to seek South Korea's presidency Wednesday, dropping a lifetime of diplomacy to denounce his country's political establishment. Ban returned home last month after a decade in New York and was widely expected to run in elections due this year, but his putative candidacy ran into a series of stumbles andRead more

Ex-UN chief's drop in presidential bid may benefit acting South Korean president

Seoul - ArabToday

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon's unexpected renunciation of his presidential bid in South Korea may benefit Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as acting president following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. In the absence of any proper candidate from the ruling Saenuri Party, Ban has long been viewed as the best hope among conservative voters in an earlyRead more

Ex-UN chief vows not to run for presidency in South Korea

Seoul - ArabToday

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday vowed not to run for presidency in South Korea, his home country, during an unscheduled press briefing in the parliament. Ban told reporters that he will give up his "pure will" to lead the country's political change and the national unity, abandoning his ambition to become the next South Korean leader following theRead more

Ex-opposition party head in South Korea widens lead in presidential poll over ex-UN chief

Seoul - ArabToday

Former head of the main opposition party in South Korea widened his lead in a recent presidential poll over former UN chief who returned back to his home country about 10 days ago. Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party chief, gained 29.1 percent in approval rating as next president, according to a Realmeter survey released on Monday. It was up 3.0Read more

Secretary General Guterres vows UN reform

Geneva - Arab Today

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he is determined to reform the world body and to see a diplomatic "surge" to overcome obstacles in peace talks. Guterres said the United Nations was irreplaceable and its actions had reduced suffering. "But I'm also aware of the shortcomings and the failures of the UN," he told reporters. "That's why I'm totallyRead more

Ban Ki-moon: THAAD Deployment in S. Korea Appropriate

Seoul - Arab Today

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is expected to run for president of South Korea, said on Sunday it is appropriate for the country to be the site of a US anti-missile system that is due to be deployed later this year. "Since the reality is the Korean peninsula is in a quasi-war-like state, such action made by the governmentRead more