(3rd LD) U.N. chief hints at presidential bid

(ATTN: UPDATES with opinion poll, more Ban remarks)
By Lee Haye-ah

SEOGWIPO, South Korea, May 25 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday gave his strongest indication yet that he could run for South Korea's presidency upon completing his tenure as head of the global body later this year.

The U.N. chief, a native of South Korea, arrived in the country earlier in the day for a six-day visit during which he plans to attend various international forums and meet with his family.

The trip drew keen attention because he is seen as a strong contender in the next presidential election slated for December 2017.

"When I return on January 1st next year, I'll be a South Korean, whereas until now I've held a U.N. passport," Ban said during a meeting with a group of senior South Korean journalists at a hotel on this southern resort island of Jeju. "I'll contemplate and decide then what I should do as a South Korean citizen and may ask for your advice if necessary."

Ban has never ruled out the possibility of running for president, although he has repeatedly sought to distance himself from domestic politics.

Just last week, he downplayed speculation over his possible presidential bid, saying he wants to focus on his current job that ends in December after two five-year terms.

Wednesday's remarks marked the first time he has sincerely addressed the issue.

He added, however, that he can't give a definitive answer yet as his family remains divided over the issue of his future.

"The country (South Korea) is in fact too divided," he said. "Political leaders should work harder for national unity. Someone should declare (a vision for) grand unity and a leader who is willing to abandon everything for national unity should step forward."

Ban, who flew into Jeju from a humanitarian summit in Istanbul, will attend the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, which brings together thousands of political and business leaders from around the world to discuss issues of peace and security.

Drawing more attention, however, is his meetings with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and ruling party lawmakers, which are expected to take place on the forum's sidelines.

The ruling Saenuri Party, in the wake of its crushing defeat in April's parliamentary elections, has appeared especially eager to woo the U.N. chief.

At a dinner hosted by Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo later in the day, Ban met with newly elected ruling party floor leader Chung Jin-suk, although the details of their encounter were not immediately revealed. Ban and Chung both hail from the central Chungcheong region, which has fueled speculation that Saenuri is aligning itself to rally around the U.N. chief in the presidential race.

Opinion polls have consistently ranked him high among potential presidential contenders from both the ruling and opposition camps. In a survey conducted by Realmeter last week, Ban was favored by 38 percent of those polled, trailed by former opposition leader Moon Jae-in with 34.4 percent and Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chief of the minor opposition People's Party, with 21.4 percent.

On his seven meetings with President Park Geun-hye in the past, Ban expressed frustration that their political meaning was "exaggerated."

"They were all in public places and I was there for conferences," he said.

Ban also spoke about his attempt to engage North Korea in talks.

"I think I may be the only one to have maintained a dialogue channel between the South and the North," he said. "If there is an opportunity, I will continue to make efforts."

The former South Korean foreign minister was scheduled to visit North Korea last year before Pyongyang abruptly withdrew the invitation.

"The job of U.N. secretary-general is often called the most impossible job," Ban said. "When I took office, I said I would turn it into the best possible job but in reality I found it very difficult."

The confession was an apparent response to a recent article in The Economist, which dubbed him the "dullest" and "among the worst" leaders of the global body.

But Ban was not shy to flaunt the contributions he made to Myanmar's democratization, the Iranian nuclear accord and the signing of a new climate agreement in Paris last year.

On his first trip home in a year, Ban is scheduled to visit various cities across the country. After delivering a keynote address in Jeju on Thursday, he will leave for Japan to attend a G7 summit, but then return home Friday to attend the Rotary International Convention in Goyang, just outside of Seoul; visit a UNESCO-listed folk village in Andong in the ruling party's stronghold region of Gyeongsang; and open a U.N. conference in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

hague@yna.co.kr
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