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Tokyo Supports Korean for Top U.N. Post

Tokyo has announced that it supports the candidacy of South Korea?s Ban Ki Moon, who is the Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister in Seoul, for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations organization. The term of Ghanian Kofi Annan, who has not done much to reform the organization and has been charged with veiled anti-Semitism, is set to end in the near future. Moon was recently endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, once a candidate for the Secretary-General position passes muster by the Security Council, he is usually approved by the General Assembly as well.

There had been a Thai hopeful for the Secretary-General?s post, but the military coup which overthrew the democratically elected government of the country on September 17 dealt a death blow to his chances. The candidate had been endorsed by the military tribunal which took over. There had been opposition among many in Japan to a South Korean?s getting the top spot at the U.N. due to Seoul?s opposition to Japan?s efforts to gain a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, but Tokyo decided that if the Security Council supported Moon, Japan would follow suit.

Japan is one of the world?s biggest economies, and as a key financial supporter of the U.N. along with the United States, Tokyo is seeking a place on the U.N. it thinks it deserves. However, it isn?t only South Korea opposing Japanese ascendancy to the Security Council, Communist China is also opposed to Japan?s joining the U.N., due to grievances stemming from Japan?s conduct in the Second World War.