UN chief Ban indicates presidential bid
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By Yi Whan-woo
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon left open the possibility of running in the 2017 presidential election, Wednesday, saying he will contemplate his future after finishing his tenure at the U.N.
“When I finish my term and return home next year, I'll decide then what I should do and will ask for your advice if necessary,” he said during a meeting with a group of senior journalists in Jeju Island.
The remarks are viewed as indicating that he could be considering a bid for Cheong Wa Dae.
“I have never thought about becoming the president. As for now I should complete my job in the U.N.,” he said. “But I’m really proud of being cited as a potential presidential candidate.”
Ban arrived in the island for a six-day trip that includes some controversial activities that opposition parties claim are linked to a possible presidential bid.
Opposition parties poured harsh criticism on Ban, who is rumored to be backed by President Park Geun-hye as a ruling Saenuri Party candidate.
“It will be appropriate for him to stay away from politicians and observe U.N. regulations,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a member of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), said on a radio program.
Park, who is also considered a probable presidential contender, cited the U.N. General Assembly’s Resolution 11, which states the U.N. chief’s responsibilities after retirement. Ban’s term at the U.N. will end in December.
According to the resolution, “it is desirable that no member should offer him — at any rate immediately on retirement — any governmental position in which his confidential information might be a source of embarrassment to other members.”
It also states that “a secretary-general should refrain from accepting any such position.”
The progressive mayor said, “The resolution seems to be aimed at preventing a U.N. chief from exploiting information obtained while they were in office. In this sense, Ban should stay away from politics after retirement.”
Rep. Min Byung-doo of the MPK predicted that Ban will not reveal his presidential ambitions until next year.
“Ban is expected to return home permanently around May 2017,” he said. “Until then, he may remain ambiguous about whether he intends to run in the election.”
Lee Sang-don, a Supreme Council member of the minority opposition People’s Party, said: “Ban will lose 100 percent if he runs for president.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an MPK official, however, said Ban could be a “variable” and influence the MPK’s choice of a candidate capable of beating him in the presidential election.
Meanwhile, loyalists of the President welcomed Ban’s visit in the wake of the Saenuri Party’s poor performance in the April 13 general election. A string of its presidential hopefuls lost in the parliamentary elections and the U.N. chief has reemerged as its favorite to run for President.
Citing a call to end regionalism, some legislators also stressed that Ban qualifies as a candidate for the Saenuri Party.
Ban is a native of North Chungcheong Province, but the Saenuri Party’s stronghold covers the southeastern regions, including North and South Gyeongsang provinces.
“The time is coming for the country to elect Ban as the next president and capitalize on his experience as the U.N. chief and also his relationships with other heads of states,” said Rep. Ahn Hong-joon, a Park Geun-hye loyalist.
Rep. Chung Woo-taik, who is from Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, said: “There are growing expectations that the next President should be from the Chungcheong region.”
Saenuri Party members are scheduled to meet Ban at events he will attend.
The party’s floor leader Chung Jin-suk, its spokesman Min Kyung-wook and Rep. Na Kyung-won, who leads the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, were invited to a welcome dinner along with Ban at the opening day of the Jeju Forum in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo hosted the dinner.
Ban will depart for Tokyo today to attend a G7 summit and return to Korea on Friday.
Rep. Hong Moon-jong is expected to meet him when he delivers a speech at the 2016 Rotary International Convention in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday.
Rep. Kim Gwang-lim, who represents Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, will greet Ban on his visit to the UNESCO-designated Hahoe Folk Village there ahead of the U.N. chief attending the U.N. Department of Public Information (DPI)/NGO Conference in Gyeongju, also in North Gyeongsang Province.
Ban will return to New York, Monday.