Obama's appointment all but guarantees that Kim, a 52-year-old physician and pioneer in treating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in the developing world, will take over at the helm of the World Bank. Although he was born in South Korea, he will extend a tradition of American presidents dating back to the organization's founding in 1944.
The 187-nation World Bank focuses on fighting poverty and promoting development. It is a leading source of development loans for countries seeking financing to build dams, roads and other infrastructure projects.
Several developing nations had sought to break the U.S. leadership streak when current Bank President Robert Zoellick announced he would step down at the end of June. That put Obama in the delicate position of balancing his desire to see emerging economies step forward on the world stage and the pressures of an election year. His support for a non-U.S. candidate could have provoked fresh criticism from Republicans, who frequently question whether Obama believes in the notion of ``American exceptionalism.''
As Obama announced Kim's nomination from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning, he tried to make the case that an American with a unique background and broad international experience would be a committed representative of the developing world's interests.
``Jim has truly global experience. He has worked from Asia to Africa to the Americas, from capitals to small villages,'' Obama said. ``His personal story exemplifies the great diversity of our country.''
In addition to Kim, Obama was joined in the Rose Garden by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, both of whom could have had the job but were not interested. Senior administration officials said it was Clinton who first recommended Kim to Obama.
Obama, aware of the concerns of the developing world, expanded his search beyond the usual slate of high-ranking government officials and prominent business leaders. Officials described internal White House strategy only on condition of anonymity.
``It's time for a development professional to lead the world's largest development agency,'' Obama said as he announced the nomination.
The World Bank's 25-member executive board will officially select a new president next month. But given that the U.S, as the world's largest economy, has the largest percentage of the votes, Kim is expected to prevail.
He was widely praised by officials in the U.S. and overseas. Former President Bill Clinton, who advocated for Kim during Obama's selection process, said in a statement that the nominee was ``an inspired and outstanding choice.'' Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Kim was ``a true friend of Africa'' and ``a leader who knows what it takes to address poverty.''
Still, Kim's nomination was expected to face some resistance from those who believe it is time for the developing world to take the reins at an organization focused on addressing its needs.
Officials at Oxfam, the international aid agency, urged the World Bank to welcome a genuine debate about its leadership and not just rubber-stamp the U.S. selection.
``It's time for a symbolic break from the past and for a new leader to steer the bank into the 21st century,'' Oxfam spokeswoman Elizabeth Stuart said.
The argument from the developing world was one Obama himself often has made in his travels as president to places like China, India and Brazil. Rising powers, he has said, must play a larger role on the world stage.
Developing countries put forward two candidates, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's finance minister. Jose Antonio Ocampo, a Columbia University professor who had been finance minister for Colombia, also was nominated.
Jeffrey Sachs, a prominent development economist at Columbia University in New York, personally campaigned for the World Bank post and had been expected to be nominated by Italy's representative on the World Bank board. But Sachs announced on his Twitter account Friday that he was withdrawing in favor of Kim.
``Jim Kim is a superb nominee for the WB. I support him 100 percent. I thank all who supported me and know they'll be very pleased with today's news,'' Sachs said in a message.
Kim is expected to travel around the world on a listening tour to rally support for his nomination ahead of the World Bank vote, Obama administration officials said.
Obama picked Kim over several more well-known candidates, including Susan Rice, current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Democratic Sen. John Kerry, a former candidate for U.S. president, and Lawrence Summers, former director of the president's National Economic Council.
Others mentioned for the World Bank post included Indra Nooyi, the head of PepsiCo, and Laura D'Andrea Tyson, who served in top economic jobs in the Clinton administration.
Kim was born in Seoul, moved to the U.S. at age 5 and grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, where he was a high school quarterback in football and point guard in basketball. He is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard University and co-founder of the global health organization Partners in Health. He served as director of the World Health Organization's department of HIV/AIDS.
He began his tenure as president of Dartmouth in 2009, the first Asian-American to lead an Ivy League institution. (AP)
<관련 한글 기사>
미국이 지명한 ‘세계은행 총재’ 김용은 누구?
김용 미국 다트머스대 총장이 세계은행(WB) 설립 이 후 최초의 한국인 총재로 사실상 내정됐다.
오바마 미국 대통령은 23일 백악관에서 세계은행 차기 총재 단독 후보로 김용 총장을 지명했다고 발표했다.
AP통신을 비롯한 주요 외신들은 오바마 대통령이 직접 발표한 아시아인 최초의 아이비리그 총장인 김 총장의 세계은행 총재 후보 지명 사실을 일제히 상세하게 보도했다.
세계은행 총재 지명권을 쥔 미국의 이날 후보 지명 발표에 따라 김 총장의 차기 총재 선임은 사실상 확정된 상태다.
새 총재는 세계은행 이사진 25명의 추인을 받아야 선임이 확정되지만, 이사회 투표권을 미국이 장악하고 있기 때문이다.
이에 따라 김 총장은 오는 4월 세계은행•국제통화기금(IMF) 연차 총회를 통해 정식 선임될 예정이다. 임기는 로버트 졸릭 현 총재의 뒤를 이어 7월부터 시작된다.
오바마 대통령은 이날 발표에서 "세계 발전에 기여하는 세계은행에 전문적인 리 더십이 필요한 시기"라며 "김 총장의 풍부한 국제적 경험이 세계은행의 역할 확대에 기여할 것"이라고 밝혔다.
그는 또 "세계은행 차기 총재로 김 총장보다 더 적합한 인물은 없다고 생각한다 "고 말해 그에 대한 무한한 신뢰를 강조했다.
미국은 2차대전 이후인 1968년 세계은행을 설립한 이래 비공식 협정에 따라 총재직을 줄곧 유지해 왔다. 그간 세계은행 총재는 미국에서, IMF 총재는 유럽에서 추 대된다는 게 일종의 불문율이었다.
하지만 이번에는 브라질, 중국 등 신흥국들이 세계은행 총재직을 요구해 막판까 지 후보 지명을 둘러싼 물밑 경쟁이 치열했다.
로런스 서머스 전 재무장관, 힐러리 클린턴 국무장관, 수전 라이스 유엔주재 대 사, 제프리 삭스 컬럼비아대 교수 등 미국 측 인사들을 비롯해 나이지리아 재무장관 인 은고지 오콘조 이웨알라 세계은행 집행이사 등이 후보로 거명됐다.
이에 따라 후보지명 마감 시한 마지막 날에 나온 김 총장 카드는 마지막 반전 카드로 여겨지고 있다.
김 총장은 중남미 등의 빈민지역에서 결핵 퇴치를 위한 의료구호활동을 벌여 국 제적으로 명성을 쌓아왔다.
20여년 간 하버드대에서 교수로 재직하며 결핵 퇴치와 국제 의료활동에 앞장섰다. 2004년에는 세계보건기구(WHO) 에이즈국장을 맡기도 했으며 하버드 의대 국제보건•사회의학과장을 역임했다.
2009년에는 다트머스대 제17대 총장으로 선출돼 '아이비 리그'의 첫 한국인 총장이 됐다.
그는 서울서 태어나 5세 때 부모를 따라 아이오와주에 이민했고, 브라운대학을 나와 하버드대에서 의학박사와 인류학 박사 학위를 받았다. (연합뉴스)
