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Yonhap wrote yesterday following...

Korean unification crucial for regional stability: UN chief

 Korean reunification would mark a significant step forward in helping stabilize relations in Northeast Asia, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday. 

"This kind of development will be positive for the region, for the Korean people and especially for the stability of the region as a whole," Annan said during his lecture to students at Seoul National University (SNU).

"I am for the unification of the two Koreas... I hope the day will come sooner or later," he added.

Annan, an advocate of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung's "sunshine" policy of rapprochement with the reclusive North, also stressed the role of six-party talks in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

"The six-party talks haven't been successful, but we haven't given up. I hope it will resume and I hope the talks are approached through trust and support," he added.

The U.N. chief, now on the first leg of his two-week
Asian tour, visits South Korea amid growing interest over who will succeed him when he steps down later this year.

South Korea hopes its Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon will be the winning candidate after he threw his hat in the ring earlier this year.

"If Ban wins, Koreans will be very happy to see one of their nationals in the post," Annan said.

He added that his replacement should be careful not to take the job lightly.

"One should know that he is the secretary of the whole world and must be fair and equitable... Koreans should not expect any favors but at the same time, they should not be handicapped," he added.

Annan stressed the need for the U.N. to reform itself, pointing out that the current security council does not adequately represent the organization.

"We have not made (much) progress yet, and the U.N. cannot say that it ever had a good reform," Annan said.

The secretary-general has insisted that two to three more countries must be added as permanent security council members, despite heavy opposition from current members.

"The composition currently reflects the geopolitical nature of 1945. The world has changed, there are major players that are not adequately represented in the organization, and therefore, I believe it has to transform into a new scene that is more representative," he added.

After three decades spent serving the U.N., the 68-year old said his most formidable challenge came from America's push to unseat Saddam Hussein.

"My most difficult challenge was the Iraq war. Many people including myself from within and outside the organization wanted to avoid the war," he added.

"However, in Iraq what touched me deeply as a secretary-general and as a human being was the fact that, although I didn't support the war, at the end, it helped the Iraqi people redeem their sovereignty and prepare for the future," he added.

http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20060515/610000000020060515155145E8.html

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