As
UN Ban Given
Hyundai &
Champagne by
South Korea,
Ad & Legal
Qs
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 17 --
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
accepted an
armored
Hyundai sedan
from South
Korea's
Ambassador Kim
Sook on
Monday
afternoon,
along with a
glass of
champagne.
Ambassador
Kim
Sook said the
car had taken
one year to
customize, and
is named
Equus, which
he translated
as "horse of
victorious
general"
-- in this
case,
Secretary
General. Photo
here.
Some
wondered if
Ban would
accept such a
gift from
North Korea,
formally
the Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea, and
what such a
gift might
be. (One
observer
mused, a
rocket ride?)
South Korea
joins the UN
Security
Council next
month; when
Inner City
Press asked
Ambassador Kim
Sook last week
if he spoke in
the closed
door meeting
on North
Korea's
launch, he
memorably
quipped that
until January
1, "I have no
mouth."
The
car had a red
bow on the
hood, like in
television
commercials.
Ban
genially gave
an engraved
dish to a
Hyundai
executive.
Staff
members
contacted
Inner City
Press to ask
about the
legality.
"We're
told by Ban's
office we
can't accept
even a bottle
of wine from
our
Missions," one
complained.
"And he takes
a car?"
In
attendance was
Ban's top
lawyer
Patricia
O'Brien, whom
Inner City
Press has
repeatedly
asked to hold
a press
conference and
answer
questions. But
Ban's
spokesman
Martin
Nesirky, also
in attendance,
most recently
said no, that
is highly
unlikely.
The
champagne, at
a car
ceremony,
seemed to
Inner City
Press a false
note, not in
the spirit of
Don't Drink
and Drive
messaging. Photo
here.
Some
might call
this a cheap
shot. Others
might wonder
why the UN
chose to
publicize this
handover.
Hyundai's and
South Korea's
motives would
be
easier to
grasp.
While
these was no
informational
hand-out at
the event,
held in a tent
in
front of the
UN's North
Lawn building,
putting the
best face on
it
once imagines
that it is a
gift to the
UN, which
should stay
with the
UN when Ban
Ki-moon moves
on. But staff
remain
confused,
expressing
anger to Inner
City Press.
More
generally,
this may
represent a
new low in the
corporatization
of the
UN. How will
the video
footage,
including Ban
Ki-moon
praising the
Hyundai
"family," be
used? Are
there any
restrictions?
Watch this
site.
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