[Courtesy of Xinhua]
Ban Ki-moon, a top contender in South Korea's presidential election, has hit an unexpected snag in his political path before he returns home after a glorious 10-year tenure as secretary general of the United Nations.
Ban, 72, has not declared his presidential bid, but there have been quiet attempts to form a campaign team that will begin its work after the former UN chief arrives in South Korea on Thursday.
The team has arranged a variety of events including press meetings and trips to a national cemetery and his hometown in Eumseong where his 92-year-old mother lives.
In a bid to refresh as his image as a viable national leader, he reportedly plans to visit a cemetery for the victims of a popular 1980 uprising against military dictatorship in the southern city of Gwangju and other places of political significance for his political career.
Shortly before his departure from New York, Ban bumped into an unsavory scandal involving his younger brother, Ban Ki-sang, and his nephew, Dennis Bahn, who were charged with conspiracy to bribe a government official.
In early 2013, Keangnam, a South Korean builder, was allegedly faced with growing debt and sought to sell a building complex in Vietnam known as Landmark 72.
New York prosecutors say Ban's brother, who was a Keangnam executive, and his son, a Manhattan estate agent, stood to make millions of dollars in commission on the sale, valued at up to 800 million US dollars.
The two men allegedly sought a meeting with the head of state from an unnamed Middle Eastern country during a UN General Assembly session in New York and paid millions of dollars in bribes to arrange a purchase of the complex by that country's sovereign wealth fund.
The scandal dealt a blow to Ban, a former foreign minister who has maintained a relatively clean image at home, but that's not seen as a game changer as supporters and political parties seek to uphold or recruit him as a presidential candidate.
An independent political group has been formed to support Ban, while he is courted by two political parties including the Righteous Party formed by dozens of ruling party defectors as well as the People's Party, a minor opposition group.
The Saenuri Party of President Park Geun-hye has been split after 29 disgruntled legislators quit to form a separate conservative political group.
The defection came after Park was impeached in parliament on December 9 for her role in a corruption scandal involving her arrested crony, Choi Soon-sil. If the constitutional court confirms Park's impeachment, a presidential election should be held within two months.
The new conservative group has promised to come up with a presidential candidate amid widespread speculation that it may join hands with Ban.
Ban emerged as the front-running presidential candidate ahead of Moon Jae-in, a strong opposition candidate, in a poll released on December 26 after he hinted at joining the race to succeed Park. His popularity has been rising especially in Park's traditional political base.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
