Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Who will be Korea's candidate for WTO director-general?
Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee speaks during a G20 teleconference of trade ministers, May 15. If Korea produces a candidate for the election of the WTO chief, experts say the first woman trade minister for Korea would be a fantastic choice. Korea Times file
By Do Je-hae
By Do Je-hae
The World Trade Organization (WTO) opened its nomination process for a successor to Roberto Azevedo, June 8, after the head of the global trade body recently announced he would step down from the post Aug. 31, a year before his term officially ends.
Candidates will have one month to submit their nominations, the WTO said in a statement following the current chief's surprise announcement late last month of his plans to resign.
According to latest international media reports, the race for his successor is expected to be fierce, with candidates from several continents considering sending in their bids.
The big question in local media regarding the vacancy at the WTO's top post is whether a Korean candidate will join the competition.
More specifically, local media speculation has revolved around whether Kim Hyun-chong, who currently serves as second deputy director of the presidential National Security Office (NSO), will seek the position. He initiated free trade agreements with more than 40 countries as trade minister for the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration, and was rehired as trade minister when President Moon took office in May 2017.
He also has extensive working experience with the WTO, having served as a senior lawyer in its Appellate Body Secretariat and Legal Affairs Division between 1999 and 2003 and other posts before joining the Moon administration.
Trade minister Kim Hyun-chong is seen speaking on the phone as he appeared at the Incheon International Airport to meet with Yoo Myung-hee, the Korean representative for Korea-U.S. talks to revise their FTA, Jan. 4, 2018. Korea Times file
His name has been mentioned in the media alongside Yoo Myung-hee, the current trade minister who succeeded Kim when he left for Cheong Wa Dae after being appointed second deputy director of the NSO in February 2019. She is the first woman to serve as Korea's trade minister and is considered one of the foremost experts in the field of international trade.
If Korea produces a candidate for the election of the WTO chief, experts say the first woman trade minister for Korea would be a fantastic choice, given her extensive expertise and network.
If the government backs a Korean bid for WTO chief, it will be the third time for the country to do so, after unsuccessful ones in 1995 and 2013.
The administration has not announced a candidate yet, despite some media speculation about it selecting a seasoned trade expert to run for the post.
“There have not been any discussions within Cheong Wa Dae about this issue yet,” a senior presidential aide told The Korea Times, Friday.
“But if we were to select a candidate, we would need to conduct a comprehensive review of the situation at the WTO, such as which region would be at an advantage in the election for the top post this time.”
Senior officials at the trade and foreign ministries contacted by The Korea Times were cautious about confirming whether or not the government will pick and announce a candidate soon.
“There is nothing to share with the media about this at this point. Our position has not changed from a previous statement we issued regarding the WTO election,” trade ministry spokesman Moon Shin-hak told The Korea Times, Friday.
On May 29, the trade ministry said that the government will approach the issue of the WTO election from the point of “maximizing the national interest and expanding our trade capacity.”
Although Kim and Yoo are both considered to be competitive candidates, there is some skepticism over Kim leaving his current post and removing himself from the possibility of other government jobs, as he is a central figure in Moon's national security policy-making.
Outgoing trade minister Kim Hyun-chong, left, and his successor Yoo Myung-hee are seated side by side during a ceremony to mark Yoo's appointment at the Sejong Government Complex, March 4, 2019. Korea Times file
Timely election for Korea
“The trade ministry really wants to produce a candidate for the WTO director-general,” an international trade expert told The Korea Times, Thursday. “It seems like Kim has put trade behind him, since he is now occupied with national security. Yoo has worked for more than 25 years in the trade ministry and is very well-connected, so she would be a great candidate for Korea.”
The new leader of the WTO has complex challenges ahead, including dealing with the escalating U.S.-China trade conflict. Experts also said that this was a good time for Korea to bid for the top job at the WTO, given its elevated standing in the world following its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The most notable case for a Korean to lead an international organization is Ban Ki-moon, a former foreign minister who later became the secretary-general of the United Nations in 2007 and served in the post until 2016. The Roh administration made all-out efforts to support his election.