ED Ban's new task

Former UN chief to lead agency for fighting fine dust

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has re-emerged in the news with the unlikely task as chief of a new government agency to respond to the fine dust pollution that has become one of the biggest concerns for Korean society today.

The organization combines officials from various ministries including the environment, health and welfare, and science and ICT ministries, among others, to establish strategies to deal with the environmental crisis.

Ban said Thursday that he had accepted Moon's invitation to take on the position after meeting with him at Cheong Wa Dae. Given that Ban was considered one of Moon's strong rivals ahead of the presidential election, it is somewhat surprising that the two have come together again. They were previously Cheong Wa Dae colleagues during the administration of the late former President Roh Moon-hyun almost 16 years ago. Moon served as Roh's chief of staff and Ban also assisted the President on diplomatic affairs before being appointed minister of foreign affairs in 2004, a post he held until 2006.

Ban served as the U.N. chief from January 2007 to December 2016, making him one of the most renowned Korean diplomats in the international community. So it has been suggested that the Moon administration should offer him a post for advancing Korea's diplomacy with the vast experience and global leadership he has acquired over his distinguished career.

However, there is uncertainty whether Ban is an appropriate choice to head a government organization for righting pollution. The appointment of a career diplomat to head an organization for battling fine dust also is somewhat awkward as it shows that the Moon administration sees the fine dust pollution as more of a diplomatic issue rather than a domestic one that requires very specific measures at home.

Many Koreans have blamed China for the aggravating pollution which has significantly affected the quality of air here and resulted in all kinds of health problems for residents. But the smog problem is rooted in various environmental causes and approaching it as a diplomatic issue will not bring fundamental solutions. Rather, such an approach could lead to cracks in bilateral relations with China, which has adamantly denied any relation to Korea's smog situation.

In previous press conferences, the Chinese foreign ministry has even criticized Seoul for blaming another country for its own problems. “One should not look for reasons elsewhere whenever there is a problem at home. Instead, one should grasp the very nature of a problem,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Lu Kang said during a press conference earlier this month. Given the attitude from Beijing so far, Ban or any Korean official will have a limited impact on changing the issue by taking it up with China.

The Moon administration should base its claim against China with undeniable scientific facts. But the more important thing is for the government to prepare preventative measures at home through citizen participation.