For years, South Korea watchers have speculated that former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would seek to exchange the top post of the international body for the top position in his home country of South Korea. When Ban’s UN term ended this year, he seemed ready to do precisely that, never quite declaring an official entry into the presidential race but certainly heavily implying his interest.
His all-but-official campaign, however, came to an anticlimactic end before the presidential race even started. In an unexpected press conference on Wednesday, Ban announced that he will no longer seek to run for office. “I will give up my pure aspirations to achieve a change in politics under my leadership and unify the country,” Ban said, citing attacks and criticisms from political opponents and the media as the reason for his change of heart.
Ban’s road to the presidency was never going to be a smooth one. Last fall, a corruption scandal involving a close confidante of President Park Geun-hye broke into the headlines. As the investigation wore on, the president herself was implicated, leading to Park’s impeachment by the National Assembly on December 9. Her fate now lies in the hands of the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether to uphold the impeachment.
If, as expected, the Court sides with the overwhelming majority of public opinion, it would trigger a new presidential election within two months. The Constitutional Court can take up to 180 days to reach its decision, but some observers expect a judgment more quickly, as early as this spring.
