hankyoreh

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon began his first work day on Tuesday with a reaffirmed commitment to address the Sudan crisis and North Korea and a call to respect the rule of law in the wake of Saddam Hussein's execution.

The genocide in Sudan's Darfur region is "very high" on his agenda, said Ban who has a meeting scheduled Wednesday with the U.N. special envoy to Sudan, Jan Eliasson. "I will turn immediately my attention to this issue," he emphasized.

North Korea is also a priority, he said, recalling his past involvement with Pyongyang's nuclear issue as South Korea's foreign minister.

"As secretary-general, I will first try to facilitate the smooth progress of the six-party talks," he told reporters, referring to a six-nation denuclearization forum aimed at ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons and programs.

He said Hussein's execution was a choice for Iraq to make. "The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide," he said when asked if the deposed leader should have been executed.

"Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against his people, and we should never forget the extent of his crimes," the secretary-general said.

But he added, "As the secretary-general, at the same time, while I am firmly against impunity, I also hope that members of the international community should pay due regard to all aspects of international humanitarian laws," he said.

"During my entire tenure, I will try my best to help member states, the international community, to strengthen the rule of law."

The 62-year-old career diplomat became the eighth secretary-general of the international body by acclamation in October and is the first Asian to be elected to the post in 35 years.

Michele Montas, the new U.N. spokesperson, gave the press a special lesson on how to pronounce his name. Ban, she said, is not pronounced as the English word "ban" that means to prohibit but as "bahn," and that the "k" should be pronounced as a hard "g."

The new U.N. chief said he starts his job with much expectation, hope and promise but appealed for strong support as he sets out "at a daunting time in international affairs."

"Not a single person, including the secretary-general of the United Nations, not a single country, however strong, powerful, resourceful it may be, cannot address this," he said.

After walking to the U.N. headquarters from his temporary residence, he paid respects at a chapel to honor fallen peacekeepers and met with his undersecretaries. He held a meeting with the U.N. staff and talked with Amb. Vitaly Churkin, the Russian envoy who holds rotating presidency of the Security Council for January.

His first overseas travel is expected to be to Ethiopia later this month to attend the African Union summit and also meet the Sudanese president there for consultations.

United Nation, Jan. 2 (Yonhap)