Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon announces an end to his attempt to seek South Korea’s presidency at the National Assembly in Seoul on February 1, 2017. Photo: AFP 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.
Category: Buyeo, South Korea
US requests South Korea’s help in detaining former UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s brother
THE U.S. government has asked South Korea to arrest a brother of former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on charges that he engaged in a bribery scheme to carry out the sale of a Vietnamese building complex, a U.S. prosecutor said on Friday. During a court hearing in federal court in Manhattan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Noble said that a request had been made for the arrest of Ban Ki-sang, who was an executive at South Korean construction firm Keangnam Enterprises Co Ltd. South Korea’s Justice Ministry was discussing the request to arrest Ban but “it is not yet a formal consultation,” Yonhap news agency quoted an unnamed source in the country’s judiciary as saying.
Presidential hopeful Moon publishes book on policy pledges
Moon Jae-in, a leading presidential candidate from the opposition bloc, on Tuesday published a book on his campaign pledges, taking further steps to generate support ahead of this year’s election. The publisher said the book, titled “The Republic of Korea asks,” is about the blueprint of Moon’s vision for South Korea, providing ways to tackle various challenges facing the country.
Former UN chief keeps 2nd place in S. Korean presidential poll
Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to return to South Korea, his home country, later Thursday, has kept his second place in presidential polls for two weeks, a survey showed. Support for Ban, whose second, five-year term as the UN head ended late last year, was 20.3 percent this week, according to a poll of 1,511 voters conducted by local pollster Realmeter between Monday and Wednesday.
Former UN chief keeps 2nd place in S. Korean presidential poll
Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to return to South Korea, his home country, later Thursday, has kept his second place in presidential polls for two weeks, a survey showed. Support for Ban, whose second, five-year term as the UN head ended late last year, was 20.3 percent this week, according to a poll of 1,511 voters conducted by local pollster Realmeter between Monday and Wednesday.
Feds: Ex-U.N. official’s relatives indicted in bribe scheme
Two relatives of former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with plotting to bribe a Middle East official to influence the $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam. Ban’s nephew, Joo Hyun Bahn, was released on $250,000 bail over the objections of prosecutors, who sought to deny bail on the grounds that he is a flight risk and a financial threat to his community.
UN head calls for ‘political integration’ in S. Korea
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose term ends this month, said Friday that South Korea must seek political integration amid the discord over the influence-peddling scandal. The remark, quoted as saying by Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the ruling Saenuri Party, came after the two met in New York.
South Korean ruling party splits over impeached president
Dozens of lawmakers split from South Korea’s ruling party Tuesday over the corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye in a move that could shape presidential elections that might take place in just months. The 29 anti-Park lawmakers who left the Saenuri Party planned to create a new conservative party that will likely try to lure outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as its presidential candidate.