Former UN chief Ban may stand for president

SEOUL: Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the divided countries.

Ban, 72, arrived in his home country after ending his second five-year term in the top UN post late last year.

He has been long viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative bloc in the next presidential race as President Park Geun-hye was impeached a month earlier and her Saenuri Party saw a drop in public support.

Local media outlets have speculated that Ban actually unveiled his willingness to run for president though he has never officially declared his candidacy.

Ban said at a televised press conference that his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing that grand unity must be achieved.

The established hegemony, he said, must not exist any longer, holding all of the leadership responsible for the current turmoil facing South Korea.

The former South Korean career diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to his homeland, saying the wishes of the public must be cherished.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have taken to the streets every Saturday night since a scandal involving the impeached president emerged in October last year.

Protesters demanded that the first South Korean female leader step down voluntarily. The influence-peddling scandal led to the impeachment of Park, which was approved last month by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly.

Ban said political alteration rather than the transfer of power must be achieved. His comments indicated he may soon officially declare his candidacy for president. He said South Korea should seek to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue and solidify relations with countries such as US, China, Russia and Japan.