The next leader of the WTO appears set to be former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the wake of South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Yoo Myung-hee ending her bid to lead the world trade body.
"Due to the prolonged vacancy of the leadership at the WTO, the future of the organization also has become uncertain," Yoo said at a briefing in Seoul, according to Yonhap News. "To speed up the consensus building among the member countries on selecting a new director-general, I have decided to renounce my candidacy through close cooperation with the United States, our strong ally."
Her last statement suggests she has coordinated the withdrawal or at least alerted the U.S. to her decision. The Trump administration had blocked the naming of Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala, with then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arguing that the trade body needed to be headed up by someone with trade experience.
The Biden administration said Friday they now strongly backed putting the Nigerian atop the world trade body, setting the stage for that to happen soon.