Opposition leader calls for leaving UN secretary general alone

By Jun Ji-hye

Rep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, speaks during a debate organized by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists, at the Korea Press Center, Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Rep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), urged parties to refrain from raising speculation that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may run for president in 2017.

He said raising such speculation at this time was not beneficial to the national interest as Ban’s term of office runs until the end of 2016.

“The ruling and opposition parties should leave Ban alone, at least for now, as he is doing well in the U.N.,” said Moon. “It will not be too late to make an issue of Ban’s possible challenge for the presidency by the time the next presidential poll approaches (in 2017), if the people want him.”

Moon made the comments during a debate arranged by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists.

The opposition leader said that competition between the ruling and opposition camps to recruit Ban seems to be embarrassing the 70-year-old career diplomat as well.

“The controversy over with which party he would run for is just nonsense. If Ban decides to run for the presidency, he will choose the camp,” Moon said.

Speculation on Ban running for the presidency emerged after a public poll conducted last month by Hangil Research showed that nearly 40 percent of respondents supported the former foreign minister, while 13.5 percent backed Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a potential NPAD standard-bearer.

Earlier this month, NPAD adviser Kwon Roh-kap told reporters that Ban’s aide came to him to sound out the possibility of Ban running for president on the NPAD ticket.

In the governing camp, a number of lawmakers who support President Park Geun-hye have cited Ban as the next candidate for their camp as they believe that Ban could upstage Mayor Park, a noted popular figure in the opposition bloc.

Ban has denied the speculation and even issued a statement that it was not appropriate to link him to domestic politics.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye