Yoo Myung-hee Appeals for Support as WTO Director-General... Final Campaign Ahead of 'First Round'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Yoo Myung-hee, the head of the Trade Negotiations Headquarters and a candidate for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), visited Switzerland and France from the 1st to the 11th to conduct lobbying activities targeting over 80 WTO member countries.

During her visit, Director Yoo held meetings with representatives from more than 80 member countries, including ministerial-level officials from about 20 countries, intensifying her final campaign efforts ahead of the first round of the WTO Director-General election.

The first round, which selects five candidates out of a total of eight, will continue until the 16th. The results are expected to be announced after the 21st.

During her visit to Geneva, Switzerland, Director Yoo requested support mainly from WTO ambassadors of countries in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, exchanging views on WTO reform measures.

In Paris, France, she had a face-to-face meeting with Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They agreed on the need to use the current crisis in the multilateral trading system as an opportunity for WTO reform through cooperation among member countries and discussed ways to restore multilateralism.

Director Yoo pointed out that the global trade environment is facing an unprecedented crisis due to increasing protectionism and the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized the urgent need for WTO-level reforms and functional recovery to overcome these challenges and requested support as a candidate for the next Director-General.

The majority of the contacted member countries agreed on the importance of the WTO Director-General's role in turning the crisis of the multilateral trading system into a new leap forward and expressed overall support for Director Yoo.

Meanwhile, the first round will be conducted by having ambassadors from 164 member countries select up to four preferred candidates out of the total eight, with the three candidates receiving the lowest preference being eliminated.

After the announcement of the first round results, the schedule for the second round will be announced later following consultations between the Chair of the WTO General Council and member countries.

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