"I think Ban has clearly made up his mind," the Korea Times quoted Kim Jong-pil, a former Prime Minister and an iconic conservative politician, as saying during a meeting with close figures last week.
Kim, however, declined to comment further on the background of the remark. Kim met Ban personally during the UN head's visit to South Korea in May.
Ban has been cited as one of the potential candidates for the country's presidential race slated for late 2017, although he has never expressed a clear stance on the speculation. His second five-year term as UN chief expires at the end of this year.
