WTO BOSS: Coast clear for Okonjo-Iweala as South Korea withdraws candidate- Report
South Korea has decided to withdraw its candidate from the World Trade Organization, WTO, director-general race.
Yoo Myung-hee is South Korea’s Trade Minister and its candidate for the top job at the WTO following the resignation of Roberto Azevedo.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate in the WTO race, had secured the popular votes by a wide margin on October 28 but was not named DG because the US opposed her candidacy.
The two women are the last candidates standing and the eventual winner will set a record as being the first female WTO DG.
However, there are speculations that the US might change its stance, following Donald Trump’s failure to get re-elected as president.
After the October 23 meeting, WTO also said Onkonjo-Iweala had the best chance of getting a consensus.
“Yoo from Korea failed to receive support from members of all levels of development, i.e, the developed, developing and the least developing countries as well as geographically in comparison to the largest support received by Miss Okonjo-Iweala”, the report read.