Ban Ki-moon: The First South Korean to Serve as UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon is a South Korean diplomat who served as the 33rd Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea and, most notably, as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

A native of Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, he graduated from Seoul National University in 1970 and began his distinguished career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), having placed second in the foreign service entrance examination. He rapidly moved up through the ranks, serving as Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's American Affairs Bureau, Director-General for Policy Planning, Senior Secretary to the President for Foreign Policy and National Security, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, a post he held from January 2004 to November 2006. 

On October 13, 2006, he was elected by the UN General Assembly to become the eighth Secretary-General. He officially began his five-year term on January 1, 2007, succeeding Kofi Annan. 

Ban Ki-moon's global influence has been widely recognized. In 2013, he was named the 32nd most powerful person in the world by the American business magazine Forbes, the highest ranking for any Korean national. In December 2016, the foreign policy magazine Foreign Policy selected him as one of the "100 Leading Global Thinkers" in the policymaker category. This honor recognized his international leadership in achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change—a monumental achievement that entered into force in record time.

In 2017, he was also elected as the Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ethics Commission. 

He currently serves as the Chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future.