South Korea's main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said Monday that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should find answers to Pyongyang's nuke, adding he will face challenges if he seeks to run for president without having tackled the critical issue.
"If someone that could not find answers to North Korean nukes during his term as U.N. head runs for the presidency of South Korea, he is likely to face a tough verification process," said Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the opposition party.
Woo added that during his meeting with Ban last week when he was in the United States he requested the U.N. chief to come up with solutions before his term ends later this year.
"It is regrettable that he did not solve the North Korean nuke issue during his 10 years of office," the party whip said.
The remark made by the main opposition apparently comes as Ban stands as a potential threat to the party's ambition to win next year's presidential race.
Although Ban has not yet made clear his intention to run for office, he has been leading in major local polls, beating key figures from the Minjoo.
Woo added he has "confirmed" Ban's willingness to run for the presidency, adding he also seems "very close" to Chung Jin-suk, the floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party. (Yonhap)