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South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, the country’s candidate to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization. (provided by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)

“I’m here as a candidate for WTO director-general, not as a representative of South Korea. I am confident that even Japan will place the most importance on a candidate’s ability to promote and reform the WTO’s role.”

This was South Korean Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee’s response to a Japanese reporter when asked whether she would “support Japan like other member countries in spite of the trade conflicts between South Korea and Japan” after announcing her platform as a candidate to serve as the next director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yoo fielded questions from representative of other WTO countries for 75 minutes and from the press for 30 minutes after completing her 15-minute platform announcement at the WTO headquarters in Geneva on July 16.

The Japanese reporter’s question that day concerned whether Yoo would be able to remain equitable toward Japan as director-general at a time when South Korea and Japan are involved in a trade conflict. It provided an illustration of the ways Tokyo is attempting to block her election at a time of intense friction, with Japan implementing retaliatory export controls in the wake of a South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordering Japanese companies to provide compensation to survivors of forced labor mobilization. Foreign news outlets similarly predicted that the heated trade battle between the two sides could work against Yoo. The Japanese report’s question addressed the issue directly.

Yoo made it clear that she was there “as a candidate for WTO director-general” rather than in connection with South Korea-Japan relations. She also called on Japan to look at the “candidate’s ability” when selecting the next director-general, rather than attempting to sabotage her candidacy due to its spat with South Korea.

“South Korea and Japan need to maintain, promote, and strengthen the multilateral trade system as beneficiaries of it,” she stressed, adding that the two sides had “cooperated on many issues within international institutions in the past.” Her message read as a proposal for Japan to also join in the WTO reforms.

In her preceding platform presentation, Yoo stressed that she was the “right person to rework the WTO’s imperiled system and achieve its vision.” Noting that she had “acquired practical knowledge and expertise in the area of trade over the past 25 years,” she said she was “confident I can offer the discernment and creative solutions necessary for the WTO’s restoration and revival.”

Candidates from seven other countries have entered the running to become the next director-general: the UK, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Moldova, and Saudi Arabia. The candidates’ platform presentations began on July 15 and continued through July 17 in order of registration. The WTO plans to select the next director-general by early November at the latest after a two-month campaign process. To select the director-general, the 164 member countries are surveyed on their preference, with the candidates who receive the lowest support being eliminated until only one is left.

By Kim So-youn, staff reporter

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