Ban Ki-moon arrived in his home country South Korea on Wednesday for a six-day visit that has fuelled the speculation of the UN chief in the lining up for  the presidency of his home country.

"I will contemplate and decide then what I should do as a South Korean citizen and I may ask for your advice if necessary." said Ban Ki-Moon.

Mr Ban’s schedule involves a number of international gatherings, including a peace forum in the southern island of Jeju

He is not expected to hold any formal talks with officials during his trip, his future has been the main topic for media coverage in the run-up to his run-up to his presidential candidacy. The soft-spoken 71 year old will step down from the post of UN Secretary General at the end of the year.

The ruling conservative Saenuri party, suffered a shock defeat in parliamentary polls in April, has made it clear to welcome Ban as its candidate.

"The UN Secretary General is the world's president, and Ban is so experienced and well-connected with all the world's leaders after serving in the top UN job for 10 years," Saenuri Party lawmaker Ahn Hong-Joon said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon, seen as a possible liberal candidate in 2017, said Ban should recuse himself from politics for several years after leaving the UN.

"A UN chief can access a slew of confidential information about many countries and I think one can unfairly take advantage of the information when serving a particular country," Park said in a radio interview Wednesday.

Ban never joined any South Korean political party, although he served as foreign minister under the late liberal president Roh Moo-Hyun from 2004 to 2006.

- Mayuka.