Ban Ki-moon leads over other likely presidential candidates in South Korea

According to the Realmeter polling agency, Ban’s popular support has increased by 2.8 percent over the past week, reaching 23.3 percent, which is 0.2 percent higher than the rating of his closest rival, the former head of the main opposition Democratic Party Moon Jae-in.

Ban’s term as the UN chief officially ends on December 31. Ban served as South Korea's foreign minister from 2004 to 2006 and his candidacy for presidency has long been discussed, despite he has not announced a decision to join the presidential race to date.

South Korean parliament decided to impeach the President Park Geun-hye on December 9 after it became known that the president's close friend Choi Soon-sil, who does not hold any official posts in the government or president's administration, got familiar with texts of dozens of president's speeches and possibly used her ties to the president for her own financial benefit. Choi, as well as 2 former officials from the president's administration, have been arrested and accused of corruption and abuse of authority.

The Constitutional Court has six months to decide upon validity of the parliament's impeachment of Park. If the impeachment is recognized valid, presidential elections should be called within 2 months.