United Nations, Oct. 14 (Reuters): The next secretary-general of the UN, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, pledged yesterday to be a decisive leader and cautioned those who call him low-key not to mistake him for a pushover.

“I may look low-key or (be) soft-spoken but that does not mean that I lack leadership or commitment,” Ban told Reuters in his first formal interview since his appointment by acclamation by the 192-member General Assembly yesterday.

Modesty and humility were considered virtues by Asians, he said, but should not be misunderstood. “I take decisive decisions whenever it is necessary,” he said when asked about published reports his style made him an uncompelling choice for the job.

Ban, who is South Korea’s foreign minister, comfortably beat six rivals to win the UN Security Council’s nomination to succeed Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian who has led the world body since 1997.

Ban made clear he would travel extensively, delegating much of the day-to-day running of the 9,000-strong UN bureaucracy to a deputy. The US ambassador, John Bolton, has said Annan’s successor should focus more on managing than on diplomacy.