Officials from South Korea's opposition parties continued to criticize U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday following a remark that hinted at him possibly running in the next presidential race, as such a development is expected to seriously complicate their efforts to bring about regime change.

"Ban just came out and settled the battle between pro- and anti-Park Geun-hye factions within the Saenuri Party," said Park Jie-won, the floor leader of the minor People's Party, during an interview with local radio TBS. "Ban would have felt like riding a flower-decorated palanquin made by the presidential office and the ruling party."

"Ban got too carried away. He is still the head of the United Nations," the party whip said.

 During his visit to South Korea, Ban said he would "contemplate" what he would do as a South Korean citizen when he returns to his home country after completing his two terms as U.N. helmsman at the end of this year.

Amid the lack of popular figures in the ruling Saenuri Party, as well as conservative factions, recent local polls raised the possibility of the opposition winning the presidential race slated for late 2017.

According to the data compiled by RealMeter last week, Moon Jae-in, former leader of the Minjoo Party, topped the survey for the preferred presidential candidate with 21.5 percent, followed by Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the People's Party, with 16.1 percent. Ban was not included in the poll.

A separate study released by a local daily on Monday, however, showed that Ban far outpaced other candidates with an approval rating of nearly 30 percent.

As such, the unexpected remark made during Ban's trip to South Korea gave urgency to opposition parties who are now scrambling to counter Ban's possible bid, including asking the legitimacy of an ex-U.N. secretary-general participating in local politics and his overall qualifications as a leader.

Chung Sye-kyun, the former head of the Minjoo Party of Korea, said Ban's presidential bid is "inappropriate" and will "damage" the reputation of South Korea around the globe.

"(Ban) is not receiving a good response around the globe," Chung said during an interview with CBS Radio, adding Ban should make efforts to be remembered as a competent secretary-general like Kofi Annan.

Chung also claimed Ban will not become a strong candidate for the presidential election even if he actually joins the race.

"I worked with him some 10 years ago. I don't know how much he has grown, but I do not think he is capable enough to lead South Korea," Chung added.

Lee Jong-kul, a former floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party who had used foul language to lash out at Ban, meanwhile, apologized for insulting the U.N. chief.

"If (Ban) becomes the president, his name will be the one we will be throwing out into the gutter," Lee told reporters on Sunday. "The ruling party is trying to invite Ban because they have no other suitable figure to compete in the upcoming election.

"It is a disaster that a person like Ban appeared," Lee added.

Critics of the opposition's bashing of the secretary-general, on the other hand, point out that it was the liberal camp's own icon, late President Roh Moo-hyun, who helped Ban become the U.N. chief in the first place.

"If Roh thought highly of Ban, I don't see the logic of the late president's ardent followers questioning his qualifications," a local political pundit said. He speculated that the latest tide of attacks is directly related to the sense that Ban can upset the opposition plan to take back power. (Yonhap)