Panama backs Korea's Lim Ki-Tack for IMO top post

The announcement was made simultaneously In Seoul, South Korea, and in London by Panama’s Ambassador to the IMO, Arsenio Fernandez. Panama is the first country that officially declares its support for one candidate.  

The candidates for the post are: Andreas Chrysostomou, Vitaly Klyuev, Ki-tack Lim, Maximo Q. Mejia Jr, Andreas Nordseth and Juvenal Shiundu, with the election set for the 114th session of the IMO Council, between 29 June and 3 July.

”We have personally interviewed each candidate, giving them a questionnaire to understand what was their experience and above all, their vision of the future,” said Barakat.  “And we have decided that [the candidate] with the clearest vision of what needed to be done [at the IMO] and with the focus on the integral development of the organisation, the best of all was Lim Ki-tack,” he explained.

“Panama feels very confident about it and that is the reason why we announce it publicly.”“

Panama is a very important country within the IMO and their support of [our] candidate means it will be elected,” said  Byoune Lip Cho, Ambassador of Korea in Panama.

Talking to Seatrade Maritime News in April, Lim said that UN global maritime organisation has been the “backbone” of his career. “IMO has been the backbone of my professional career,” he said, adding that he has been attending various IMO meetings since 1986.

The incumbent secretary-general is Japanese Koji Sekimizu, who will finish his term on 31 December 2015.