"그만한 훌륭한 분 없다…영입해 경선해야"
고(故) 김대중(DJ) 전 대통령의 가신그 룹인 동교동계 좌장인 새정치민주연합 권노갑 상임고문은 3일 최근 일부 차기 대선 주자 지지도 조사에서 1위를 한 반기문 유엔 사무총장의 측근들이 반 총장의 야권 대선후보 출마 문제를 타진했다고 전했다.
권 고문은 이날 국회 헌정기념관에서 열린 회고록 '순명' 출판기념회에 앞서 기자들과 만나 "반 총장의 측근이라고 할 수 있는 분들이 와서 (반 총장이) 새정치연 합 쪽에서 대통령 후보로 나왔으면 쓰겠다(좋겠다)는 의사를 타진하기에 '반 총장을 존경한다, 그만한 훌륭한 분이 없다'는 얘기를 했다"고 말했다.
권 고문은 "우리가 (반 총장을) 영입을 해 경선을 시켜야 한다"라고 말했고, '다른 후보들과 같은 위치에서 경선해야 한다는 뜻이냐'는 기자들의 질문에 "물론이 다. 그 것이 우리 당의 원칙"이라고 답변했다. (연합)
Photo credit: Bloomberg
<관련 영문 뉴스>
Ban's aides sound possible run for Korean presidential election
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's confidants have sounded out the possibility of Ban's running for president in his native South Korea, an opposition politician claimed Monday, despite Ban's apparent objection to get involved in local politics.
Ban's second five-year term is set to end at the end of 2016, a year before South Koreans go to the polls to elect a new president who will replace President Park Geun-hye.
Park's single five-year term ends in early 2018, and by law, she cannot seek re-election.
Kwon Roh-kap, an adviser to the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, claimed people seen as confidants to Ban discussed the possibility of Ban's running for South Korea's top office on the opposition ticket.
He said he told Ban's confidants that he respects the U.N.
chief and that the opposition should ask Ban to join the party and compete in the party's primary for the presidential nomination for the election.
Kwon, a former top aide to late liberal President Kim Dae-jung, did not identify Ban's confidants.
Ban was not immediately reached for comment.
Kwon made the comments to reporters in a ceremony in the parliament to mark the publication of his memoirs.
The comments came more than a week after a recent poll found that Ban, who served as foreign minister for liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, received nearly 40 percent of public support as a possible candidate for the presidential election.
Last month, Ban said he is not a person who has been involved in politics, according to Yoo Ki-june, a ruling party lawmaker who met Ban during his visit to the U.S. as part of an annual parliamentary inspection of South Korea's diplomatic missions.
Yoo also quoted Ban as saying it is wrong to get involved half in politics and half in foreign affairs.
Despite Ban's apparent objection to join politics, Ban is rumored as a potential candidate for the presidential election in South Korea in December 2017. (Yonhap)
