U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for a six-day visit that has spurred speculation of a possible bid for the presidency in his native country.
Ban, who flew in to the southern resort island of 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.
(Yonhap)
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.
Ban has long been talked about as a potential contender in the December 2017 presidential election, and in the wake of its crushing defeat in April's parliamentary elections, the ruling Saenuri Party has appeared especially eager to woo the U.N. chief.
Ban has sought to distance himself from domestic politics, saying he wants to focus on his current job. But he has stopped short of saying he won't run for president.
With the U.N. chief's second five-year term ending in December, opinion polls have consistently ranked him high among potential presidential contenders from both the ruling and opposition camps.
(Yonhap)
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. (Yonhap)
