Photo: World Economic Forum / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ban Ki-moon is one of those figures who genuinely earned his place on the world stage through decades of grinding diplomatic work rather than a single dramatic moment. Born in a rural corner of South Korea in 1944, he clawed his way through Seoul National University and into South Korea's foreign ministry, eventually rising to become the country's top diplomat before the UN tapped him as Secretary-General in 2007. He held that post for two full terms through 2016 — navigating climate negotiations, the Syrian crisis, the Ebola outbreak, and more geopolitical fires than most people could name. Critics say he was too soft, too consensus-driven; supporters say that's exactly what the job demands. Either way, the kid from Eumseong County running the United Nations for a decade is a story that earns serious respect from me.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ban Ki-moon
- Name (Japanese)
- 潘基文
- Reading
- ぱん・ぎむん
- Born
- June 13, 1944 (age 82)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Monkey
- Origin
- Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, South Korea
- Occupation
- politician / diplomat / writer
2. Background
- High school
- Chungju High School
- University
- Seoul National University
Awards & achievements
- 2015 honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- Emblem of Unity
- 2016 Order of Friendship
- 2016 Collar of the Spanish Order of the Civil Merit
- 2016 Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 2001 Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
- 2010 Dostyk Order of grade I
- 2004 James A. Van Fleet Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ban Ki-moon born?
Born June 13, 1944 (age 82).
Where is Ban Ki-moon from?
Ban Ki-moon is from Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, South Korea.
What does Ban Ki-moon do?
Ban Ki-moon works as politician, diplomat, writer.
Politician — see all → · Diplomat — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.