UN's Ban's Ally Han Accused of Under-Reporting His Assets, UN Disclosure Called Into Question

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, February 21 -- A controversy in South Korea about the accuracy of prime minister-designate Han Seoung-soo's financial disclosure raises questions about the adequacy of the UN's public financial disclosure regime. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named Han Seoung-soo his special envoy on climate change, triggering financial disclosure requirements. A disclosure form was placed online, in which Mr. Han checked that he was voluntarily making financial disclosure, accurately. On February 21, Inner City Press asked Mr. Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas if, in light of the questions raised in Seoul, the UN still stood behind Mr. Han's public financial disclosure and believed that it was accurate. Ms. Montas answered that it is a South Korea question. But Mr. Han made his filing with the UN in New York, and put it on the UN's website. Mr. Han is quite close to Ban Ki-moon. So what is the answer?

            Later on February 21, Ban's spokesperson's office provided a written answer, that "PriceWaterhouseCoopers has vetted all the financial disclosures, and the ones we've posted all indicate no need for further action. Any other questions should be asked of the Korean authorities who have their own criteria which we do not comment on." This appears to mean, by saying there is "no need for further action," that the UN considers Han's disclosure adequate and accurate. Click here to view it.

UN Climate Change envoys, Messrs. Ban and Han on right

In the confirmation debate in Seoul, there is talk

"that Han and his wife bought thousands of square meters of land in Seoul and Gangwon Province, just before the areas were developed. Han bought houses and land in southern Seoul three times, in 1977, 1981 and 1988, and his wife also bought more than 5,000 square meters of land in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in 2001 before a cultural industry complex was built there. As Han was in positions that gave him access to the information on government development plans, liberal lawmakers claim that Han's actions were unethical and suspicious. President-elect Lee is known to have named Han, a special envoy on climate change for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as his first prime minister due to Han's wide-ranging diplomatic experience."

            Meanwhile, after a report that Ban himself wanted to attend the presidential inauguration in Seoul, then more reports that his senior advisor Kim Won-soo would go, on February 21 it was announced that Mr. Kim and Lynn Pascoe would travel east -- not only to South Korea, but also to Japan. But apparently this was an inauguration not to be missed...

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Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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