SOUTH KOREA has pledged millions of dollars in aid and offered other incentives to members of the United Nations Security Council to secure its candidate as the next UN secretary-general.

An investigation by The Times has disclosed that the South Koreans have been waging an aggressive campaign on behalf of Ban Ki Moon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the front-runner to replace Kofi Annan as UN chief at the end of the year. The inducements range from tens of millions of pounds of extra funding for African countries to lucrative trade agreements in Europe — and even the gift of a grand piano to Peru.

Mr Ban’s prospects received a dent last night when he slipped back in a new secret ballot by the UN Security Council. While Mr Ban remained the clear front-runner, he received support from only 13 of the 15 council members — one fewer than in the previous ballot. One council member voted against him and another abstained.

A further ballot will be held on Monday, with coloured cards to show if the negative vote comes from a veto- bearing permanent member. Britain and France both appear to harbour hopes that new candidates will still emerge.

The other candidates are: Surakiart Sathirathai, the ousted Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Shashi Tharoor, a senior Indian UN diplomat; Prince Zeid Raad Zeid alHussein, the Jordanian Ambassador to the UN; Jayantha Dhanapala, a former Sri Lankan official and UN diplomat; Ashraf Ghani, the former Afghan Finance Minister; and President Vike-Freiberga of Latvia. Last night, none of them received the nine positive votes necessary to be elected.

It is broadly accepted at the UN that the winning candidate should be an Asian citizen because the last incumbents were African, Arab, South American and European. It is also the custom that none of the permanent members of the UN Security Council — America, Britain, China, France and Russia — stands for the post. Supporters of Mr Ban, 62, insist that the career diplomat is highly respected around the world and has long experience in foreign affairs. Most recently he headed Seoul’s team in peace talks with North Korea.

Mr Ban announced his bid in February and has since been criss-crossing the globe trying to win support. A month later South Korea announced that it would treble its aid budget to Africa to $100 million (£53 million) by 2008. Seoul then contributed tens of thousands of pounds to sponsor this year’s African Union summit in the Gambia in July, when Mr Ban declared 2006 to be “the Year of Africa” for South Korea.

One fortunate recipient was Tanzania, which currently has a seat on the Security Council. When Mr Ban arrived in May he pledged $18 million for an educational programme and also promised to carry out a road and bridge project in western Tanzania. Between 1991 and 2003 South Korean grants to Tanzania totalled $4.7 million. Seoul’s generosity seems to have worked. Yesterday Elly Matango, the Tanzanian Ambassador to Tokyo and Seoul, said that his Government had decided to support Mr Ban.

This month President Roh and Mr Ban headed the most senior South Korean delegation since 1961 to visit Greece, another Security Council member. Overseen by hundreds of South Korean businessmen, the countries signed agreements on trade, tourism and maritime transport.

South Korea denied yesterday that it was using foreign aid as a means of buying votes in the Security Council. “I would like to stress that the allegations against Mr Ban Ki Moon and, moreover, the integrity of the Korean Government do not correspond with the facts,” In Joon Chung, the spokesman for the South Korean Embassy in London, said. He added that Seoul had decided in 2002 to increase aid to the developing world. He added that the state visit to Greece was planned a year ago because Athens had been an ally of Seoul in the Korean War.

David Mepham, the associate director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, described the selection process for the secretary-general’s post as “untransparent and unprofessional”. He said: “Given the sensitivity and importance of the post we need root-and-branch reform to ensure that we get the best candidate.”

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THE LARGESSE

February Announces candidacy for United Nations secretary-general

May Promises $18 million education grant during visit to Tanzania, reaffirms road and bridge project in western Tanzania

July Tells African Union summit in The Gambia, paid for by Seoul, that 2006 will be Korea’s “Year of Africa”

August Signs co-operation agreement with Peru and donates a grand piano to the Inca cultural centre. Opens Korean cultural centre in Buenos Aires

OTHER INDUCEMENTS

March South Korea says that it will treble the overseas development aid budget for Africa to $100 million by 2008

July Kia Motors Corporation of South Korea produces its first 500 cars at its $1 billion factory in Zilina, Slovakia

September Series of maritime, trade and tourism agreements signed with Greece. It was the first visit to Athens by a Korean head of state since 1961

THE PROCESS

Previous secretary-generals from Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Europe. Next candidate expected from Asia

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