WTO Secretary-General Candidacy Deadline Tomorrow... Full Government Support

Yoo Myung-hee Challenges for Chief Trade Negotiator... Proposes Middle Power and Mediator Role

Yoo Myung-hee, Chief Negotiator of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The registration for candidates for the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ends on the 8th (local time).

Our government is prepared to launch an election campaign supporting Yoo Myung-hee, head of the Trade Negotiations Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The government will mobilize its global diplomatic network to target WTO member countries by promoting the 'middle power and mediator theory.'

According to the WTO on the 7th, until the day before the candidate registration deadline, five candidates from Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Egypt, and Moldova have declared their candidacies, including Director-General Yoo.

Phil Hogan, the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade, who was considered the most likely frontrunner, recently announced his intention to withdraw from the race.

If developed countries do not field candidates and the current situation continues, there is talk that the possibility of producing the 'first Korean WTO Director-General' is not impossible.

Mexican candidate Jesus Seade faces the obstacle that Angel Gurria, the current Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is also from Mexico.

Africa, which has 54 member countries out of the 164 WTO members, about one-third, failed to unify its candidate.

Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Egyptian Hamid Mamdouh have each entered as candidates, which may initially split the African vote.

However, if the candidates are narrowed down from two to one through subsequent rounds of voting, the possibility of consolidating votes cannot be ruled out.

Korea argues that it can play a neutral role between the United States, China, and Europe, and also act as a mediator between developed and developing countries.

Director-General Yoo is an expert who has dedicated 25 years to trade, and the recent global attention on 'female leadership' during the COVID-19 pandemic has also drawn interest.

Although Japan opposes the Korean candidate for Director-General, our government considers this not to be a major issue.

Trade experts advise that ultimately winning the support of the United States and China is crucial.

U.S. President Donald Trump has pressured the WTO, saying, "The WTO gives special treatment to China as a developing country, while the United States has been treated badly."

After candidate registration ends, candidates from each country will attend the WTO General Council official meeting to present their visions. Then, member countries will survey candidate preferences and eliminate those with low support, proceeding until only one remains.

It usually takes about six months to finalize the selection, but to reduce leadership gaps, the procedure is likely to be expedited this time.