Final Registration of 8 Countries for WTO Director-General Candidates... What Are the Chances for Head Yun Myung-hee?

Yoo Myung-hee, Chief Negotiator for Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] A total of eight candidates, including Yoo Myung-hee, head of the Trade Negotiations Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, have declared their candidacy for the next Director-General election of the World Trade Organization (WTO). With a large number of African candidates, who have never produced a WTO Director-General, entering the race, and strong challenges from candidates from developed countries, it is difficult to predict the outcome.

The WTO Secretariat closed the application for Director-General candidates at 6 p.m. local time on the 8th. As a result, eight candidates applied, including Korea's Head Yoo, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria), Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), Amina Mohamed (Kenya), Jesus Seade (Mexico), Tudor Ulianovsky (Moldova), Liam Fox (United Kingdom), and Muhammad Mazyad Altwaijri (Saudi Arabia). Initially, a contest between Korea and African candidates was expected, but just hours before the deadline, a candidate from a European country entered, making the outcome harder to predict.

Our government plans to appeal that Korea, as a responsible middle power, can play a mediating role between the United States, China, developed countries, and developing countries. Contrary to the WTO's intentions, protectionism is spreading, and Korea will actively leverage its status as a country that has grown benefiting from the multilateral trading system.

Looking at the candidates, Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala, chairperson of the Gavi Board (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), is considered a strong contender. She has raised her profile by leading Gavi during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has held positions such as Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs and served as Managing Director of the World Bank, among other diverse experiences. Mexico's candidate Seade is currently serving as Deputy Minister for North America at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, placing him in a favorable position to gain U.S. support. However, some analysts believe that the fact that the current WTO Director-General Roberto Azev?do is from Brazil, another Latin American country, could be a hindrance.

The election process involves repeatedly eliminating some candidates until a Director-General is elected unanimously. African candidates from Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya failed to unify their candidacies at the last minute. If they continue to struggle to unify and the votes of over 40 African member countries are dispersed, the election dynamics could unfold differently than expected. Liam Fox, a former UK Secretary of State for International Trade, officially declared his candidacy at the last minute with the recommendation of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and represents the position of developed countries. By convention, the WTO Director-General position alternates between developed and developing countries. For this reason, Fox, a candidate from a developed country, may gain strength.

Japan's intentions are also considered a variable. On the 7th, the Japanese government stated, "We will properly engage in the WTO Director-General election." Japan is even involved in trade disputes with Korea and may oppose Korea producing the WTO Director-General. If the Asian vote is thus divided, it will likely become more difficult for Head Yoo to secure unanimous support from member countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.