- Born:
- June 13, 1944, Ŭmsŏng, Japanese-occupied Korea [now in South Korea] (age 82)
- On the Web:
- Al Jazeera - Ban Ki-moon: Stop ISIL ‘in the name of humanity’ (Oct. 30, 2026)
Ban Ki-Moon
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Who is Ban Ki-Moon?
Ban Ki-Moon, born on June 13, 1944, is a South Korean diplomat and politician who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016.
Ban's UN experience began in 1975, and he served as chairman of the preparatory commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization in 1999. On October 13, 2006, he was named UN secretary-general-elect, succeeding Kofi Annan on January 1, 2007. During his tenure, Ban faced challenges such as nuclear threats, Middle East conflicts, and the Darfur crisis, as well as the Syrian Civil War and the annexation of Crimea.
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Where is Ban Ki-Moon from?
Ban Ki-Moon, a South Korean diplomat and politician, was born in Ŭmsŏng, which was at the time Japanese-occupied Korea but is now in South Korea. He served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 2007 to 2016.
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What important international job did Ban Ki-Moon hold?
Ban Ki-Moon, a South Korean diplomat and politician, served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 2007 to 2016. As secretary-general, he faced challenges such as nuclear threats, Middle East conflicts, and the Darfur humanitarian crisis, while also advocating for UN reform. The secretary-general is the UN's chief administrative officer and most visible figure in world affairs.
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When did Ban Ki-Moon serve as the secretary-general of the United Nations?
Ban Ki-Moon, a South Korean diplomat and politician, served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 2007 to 2016. He assumed office on January 1, 2007, succeeding Kofi Annan, and was the first Asian to hold the position since U Thant. During his tenure, Ban faced challenges such as nuclear threats, Middle East conflicts, and the Darfur crisis, while also focusing on UN reform. He was elected to a second term in 2011; this second term was widely perceived as less successful than his first. His term ended on December 31, 2016.
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What are some major issues Ban Ki-Moon worked on during his time at the United Nations?
During his tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations (2007-2016), Ban Ki-Moon addressed several critical global issues. These included the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and the Darfur humanitarian crisis. He also focused on reforming the UN itself. During his second term, Ban dealt with crises such as the Syrian Civil War, the Arab Spring movements, and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
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How did Ban Ki-Moon's work impact the world during his leadership at the United Nations?
During his tenure as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 2007 to 2016, Ban Ki-Moon addressed various critical global issues. These included nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran, Middle East conflicts, and the Darfur humanitarian crisis. He also focused on reforming the UN itself. During his second term, Ban dealt with crises like the Syrian Civil War, the Arab Spring movements, and Russia's annexation of Crimea. Although the UN's responses were sometimes criticized as slow or ineffectual, Ban Ki-Moon's leadership marked a period of significant international challenges and efforts to address them.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Ban Ki-Moon (born June 13, 1944, Ŭmsŏng, Japanese-occupied Korea [now in South Korea]) is a South Korean diplomat and politician, who served as the eighth secretary-general (2007–16) of the United Nations (UN).
At age 18 Ban won a competition that took him to the White House to meet U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy, a visit that Ban claimed inspired his public career. He received a bachelor’s degree (1970) in international relations from Seoul National University and earned a master’s degree (1985) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After entering South Korea’s foreign service in 1970, he served as counselor to the embassy in Washington, D.C. (1987–90), director of American affairs at the Foreign Ministry (1990–92), deputy foreign minister (1995–96), and national security adviser to the president (1996–98). Following a stint as ambassador to Austria (1998–2000), Ban returned to Seoul as vice-minister of foreign affairs (2000–01). In 2003 he became foreign policy adviser to the new president, Roh Moo Hyun. As minister of foreign affairs and trade from 2004 to 2006, Ban played a key role in the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea.
Ban’s UN experience began in 1975 when he became a staff member of the UN division of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. In the late 1970s, when South Korea had only observer status, Ban was posted to the South Korean mission to the UN. In 1999 he served as chairman of the preparatory commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. Ban also led the cabinet of the president of the UN General Assembly during South Korea’s tenure of the rotating presidency in 2001–02, the critical period following the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 (see September 11 attacks).
On October 13, 2006, just days after North Korea tested a nuclear weapon, Ban was named UN secretary-general-elect. Though Ban’s quiet demeanour led some observers to question his ability to take on the daunting challenges facing the UN, others characterized him as an astute consensus builder who would be able to work effectively with both the Americans and the Chinese. Ban succeeded Kofi Annan on January 1, 2007, becoming the first Asian to serve as UN secretary-general since Burmese statesman U Thant held the office (1962–71). Ban faced a number of challenges, including the North Korean and Iranian nuclear threats, troubles in the Middle East, and the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. Reform of the UN itself was also a major issue. In 2011 Ban was elected to a second term.
His second term saw Ban deal with a number of crises, particularly in the Middle East, such as the Syrian Civil War and fallout from the various movements of the Arab Spring. In addition, he had to cope with the international turmoil over Russia’s forcible annexation of the Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea in 2014. The responses that the UN made to those crises were often criticized as being too slow or ineffectual, and his second term as secretary-general was widely perceived as having been far less successful than his first when it ended on December 31, 2016.
In 2017 Ban became chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission. The following year he cofounded the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.