Skepticism and Support in South Korea as Ban Ki-moon Weighs Presidential Bid

HAENGCHI VILLAGE, South Korea — Each day hundreds of visitors, many with young children, make a pilgrimage to Haengchi Village, where Ban Ki-moon was born 72 years ago. They wander through a replica of Mr. Ban’s old thatched-roof house. They learn about his personal journey to the United Nations, where he was secretary general for 10 years.

Despite criticism of his tenure there, Mr. Ban is seen as a role model by vast numbers of South Koreans. School textbooks, for example, celebrate him as a “man who made South Korea proud.” And many South Koreans want Mr. Ban to be their next president, succeeding Park Geun-hye, whom the National Assembly voted to impeach last month on corruption charges.

When Mr. Ban arrived home on Jan. 12, crowds of well-wishers turned out at the airport, waving flags and shouting, “Ban Ki-moon, please save this country!”

 

Read More: Skepticism and Support in South Korea as Ban Ki-moon Weighs Presidential Bid – The New York Times