Powerful Koreans 1: Ban Ki-Moon

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© ITU/ M. Jacobson - Gonzalez
Wikipedia/ (CC)

There are some powerful Koreans out there, eh? I can't believe that South Korea is both the home country of the leader of the UN and the World Bank! Welcome to "The Korean Story" series: Powerful Koreans! We'll talk about a bunch of powerful and wealthy Koreans, including North Koreans.

Let's start with Ban Ki-moon (Ban is the last name, 반기문). Ban is the 8th and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Born in Haengchi Village (행치마을) in Eumseung County (음성군), Choongchung Province (충청도), in June 13th, 1944. It was a Tuesday. Koreans made Haengchi Village a UN tourist site, so that's pretty sad. That's enough information about his birth.

Ban, in his childhood days, was considered as a "English Master" in his town. However, many times he wasn't recognized because of his half-moon looking mole on his face (I think it's the nose). However, his English teachers helped him fight over the discrimination, and he won a speech contest, in which led to him meeting Present John F. Kennedy (of the United States of Americano) in third grade. Yes, THIRD GRADE, during the Korean War. And saying that he was from a small village in Korea that barely anyone knows, that's amazing.

Well, after his visit with at-the-time member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ban decided to become a diplomat and studied hard enough to enter politics at the very young age of twenty-six in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Third Republic of Korea. (Look at the Korean dictators page for more details.) He then worked as the vice-consulate general in India, rather than the U.S., because Indian consulates did get more pay at the time? Anyways, dictators died, Ban rose through ranks (and became director of UN division, which let Korea, at the time a non-member state, get represented in the UN.), dictators escaped into Buddhist temples, Ban became Deputy Minister for International policy planning, then a Presidential political adviser, then Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia, yadi yadi yada.

In 2007, Ban got to be the Secretary-General of the United Nations (of Earth), and focused heavily on peace and supporting third world nations. No wonder he got elected for the second time in 2011. He also condemned the anti-refugee/migrant stuff going on in Hungary (please don't leave, Hungarian readers! If there's any...), and led peace talks with the "Democratic" People's Republic of Korea.

Since Ban's Secretary-Generalship will end in the last day of 2015, many Korean politicians are eager to use him as their political icon. Why? Let me tell you the reasons.

1: Ban is the most powerful Korean in the world and holds almost 100% popularity in South Korea.
2: Ban luckily didn't get hurt in any political fights, mainly because he worked overseas.
3: His hometown is in Choongchung Province, in which the government is constructing a new capital.

And the Korean politicians want to use him so badly....
Oh yeah! Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs before 2007. And Ban met Putin.

Ban and Putin. Kremlin.ru/Wikipedia (CC)

Thanks for reading this first article of "Powerful Koreans", the emergency blog-saving and less stressful program  a "The Korean Story" series!

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