
All the signs are that he will be disappointed, but Ban Ki-moon refuses to abandon hope that he will live to see peace prevail on the Korean peninsula.
At 68, the secretary general of the United Nations has lived through enough unexpected twists and turns of history to ensure he remains defiantly optimistic about the potential for positive change.
Cheery and charming, he gives the impression of being a glass half-full sort of person, even when it comes to the military-run Communist regime that retains an iron grip on power in the impoverished north of his divided homeland.
“I really want to contribute to the promotion of dialogue and the reduction of tension on the peninsula and to work for its eventual reunification,” Ban said in an interview during an official visit to Paris this week.
Asked if he believed he might see that happen in his lifetime, the former South Korean foreign minister responded with a broad smile and a wistful murmur.
“I hope so,” he said. “I hope so. The sooner the better.”
