Ban Ki-moon was born on 13 June 1944, in Eumseong, South Korea. He is a politician and statesman, best known for being the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Prior to his present appoinment, he was a career diplomat in South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations. All of his endeavors have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Ban Ki-moon? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $1.5 million, mostly earned from his career as a diplomat and politician. According to reports, he earns an annual salary of around $227,000. He’s considered one of the most powerful South Koreans in the world, and as he continues his career his wealth will likely increase.
Ban Ki-moon Net Worth $1.5 Million
Ban attended Chungju High School and became one of the top students, including becoming really proficient in the English language. In 1962, he won an essay contest that earned him a trip to San Francisco where he stayed for several months. He met President John F. Kennedy and decided that he wanted to become a diplomat. He went to Seoul National University from where he graduated with a degree in international relations. Afterwards, he attended Harvard University to earn a Master of Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Later on, he was given a Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Maita, University of Washington, and University of Cambridge. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Loyola Marymount University.
In 1970, Ban joined the Southe Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and started to work his way up. He was assigned to New Delhi, India and served as the vice-consul during this period. In 1974, he became the First Secretary of the South Permanent Observer Mission as part of the United Nations. He then became Director of the United Nations Division after the assassination of Park Chung-hee. In 1980, he became the United Nations’ International Organizations and Treaties Bureau Director. He often worked at the South Korean embassy in Washington and he would later become Director-General for American Affairs. In 1993, he became the deputy ambassador to the United States before becoming the Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations. In 1998, he moved to become Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia.
Ban made an unfortunate mistaken a statement about the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which forced his resignation in 2001. Despite this, and being removed from his position, he soon became the chief of staff to general assembly president Han Seung-soo. He then became a foreign policy advisor for South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. In 2004, he was appointed the foreign minister of South Korea, and helped with issues such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He helped improved the aid and trade policies in South Korea, and even travelled to the Republic of the Congo.
He then declared his candidacy for the UN Secretary-General’s post, and visited many of the countries involved, those on the security council, gaining popularity and the support of the United States. He struggled with a few countries but eventually became favored and a front-runner. Only Japan abstained from voting, but the rest of the Security Council were in favor of Ban’s campaign. He became the Secretary-General in 2007 and started to work on problems such as nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. He addressed violence in the Middle East, international terrorism and diseases such as HIV. He also proposed major reforms in terms of the UN peacekeeping operation and the political affairs and disarmament department. He was resisted though eventually the split of peacekeeping operations from arms was approved. He continued his first term tackling issues such as global warming and war-torn countries, eventually getting a unanimous vote for a second term in 2011, to continue in what has been described as ‘the most impossible job on earth.
For his personal life, Ban Ki-moon married Yoo Soon-taek in 1971 – they had met during high school – and they have three children. Ban is not a member of any religious group or church.
