Before becoming Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from college, accepting his first post in New Delhi.
Ban has taken particularly strong views on global warming
In the Korean Foreign Ministry his nickname was Ban-chusa, meaning "the Bureaucrat" or "the administrative clerk".
The Korean press corps calls him "the slippery eel" for his ability to dodge questions
Ban also opposed several U.S. positions: he expressed his support for the International Criminal Court and favoured an entirely non-confrontational approach to dealing with North Korea.