'North Korea Should Be More Realistic'

Hard-liners argue that the North Korean regime has never changed its behavior.

You should sympathize and appreciate how difficult it is for the South Korean government and people to deal with the North. Peace and prosperity come when we have a good and solid relationship with the North. When there is a crisis like this, the South Korean people are affected in a very negative way.

What do you want to accomplish as secretary general?

Development is the key issue. Without the eradication of poverty, you will always see conflicts.

What do you plan to do about U.N. reform?

U.N. reform is my top priority. The United Nations should be reborn to be able to address all the challenges more objectively and efficiently. It's frustrating that people talk about the irrelevance of the United Nations. . . . We should change the culture by making the secretariat more professional, more accountable, more transparent, with a higher level of ethics.

So no more oil-for-food scandals?

That's right. I'll try to lead by example.