Will Hillary Clinton run for pres. in 2016?

Time magazine this week said in a special edition on the reelection of U.S. President Barack Obama that Hillary Clinton is an "irresistible" and leading presidential candidate for 2016. The weekly added that Clinton undeniably emerged as a Democratic Party giant with her husband Bill Clinton’s contribution to Obama’s victory on top of her own achievements as secretary of state. She is expected to leave the State Department soon based on her earlier announcement that she would step down if Obama was reelected. On the first overseas trip of his second term, the president expressed his appreciation to Hillary Clinton’s four years of service by saying he could not thank her enough.

Hillary Clinton ended her career as the top U.S. diplomat in an impressive way. She ended the bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine in eight days, imprinting on the world the image of a peace mediator. On Tuesday, she received a call from President Obama in Cambodia. Per his request, she immediately flew to Tel Aviv to bring an end to the Mideast war. She first talked to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on cease-fire conditions, and concluded the negotiations the next day after intense talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Even numbers show how actively Hillary Clinton has served her country and the world. As secretary of state, she visited 112 countries, meaning she spent more than a fourth of her term overseas and flew a whopping 918,375 miles. None of her precedents came close to this record. She also traveled far more extensively than Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who set a record for overseas trips for a Korean head of state. Over his five-year term, he visited 84 countries and flew 471,296 miles.

Hillary Clinton will be 69 in 2016. Despite her advanced age, however, U.S. media seem excited to mention her as the most promising presidential candidate for the next election because Americans trust her leadership. Her remarkable record of defusing countless diplomatic conflicts refutes any doubt about her ability or sexist attack. Time named four women to a list of 13 potential presidential candidates for 2016. With her great achievements as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton has widely opened the door to the White House for women.

Editorial Writer Bhang Hyeong-nam (hnbhang@donga.com)