United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s fast rise as a potential presidential candidate for the ruling Saenuri Party is causing a stir within domestic political circles, especially among the rival parties.

Ban’s uneasy relationship with the opposition camp stood out Wednesday as his slated meeting with former Prime Minister Lee Han-chan turned sour over the U.N. chief’s future role in Korean politics.

The U.N. secretariat said Tuesday local time that the meeting between Ban and Lee, which was scheduled for Wednesday, had been canceled at the eleventh hour.

While Ban’s office had requested the opening part of the closed-door meeting be open to Korean media correspondents in New York, Lee had rejected the idea, according to officials.

Lee, an independent seven-term lawmaker and former prime minister, is currently visiting the U.S. upon the invitation of the U.S. State Department as a representative of a foundation honoring the late President Roh Moo-hyun.

Though he exited The Minjoo Party of Korea in the run-up to the April 13 general election, Lee is still considered a leading opposition figure, likely to return to his home party within the year.

He reportedly played a key role in supporting Ban, who was foreign minister at the time, in becoming chief of the international organization in 2006.

After his slated meeting with Ban was exposed to the media, Lee expressed his resentment over Ban’s rise as a presidential candidate.

“I have seen many diplomats, but none of them made it so far as to the presidential candidacy,” Lee had said Monday.

“(Diplomats) are skilled at diplomatic communication, but lack expertise in other areas such as economy, social affairs, policies, culture and education.”

Also, the prudent character of diplomats does not fit with politics, which requires quick decisions and bold actions, Lee had added.

His words directly pointed at Ban who, during his visit to Korea last month, repeatedly alluded to his bid in the 2017 presidential race. His second, five-year term as U.N. chief is to end at the end of this year.

But Lee’s aides claim that the reason for the meeting’s cancellation was more because of the change in Ban’s stance, rather than Lee’s remarks. It was Ban’s side that had suggested the meeting with Lee.

“The nature of the occasion, which was supposed to be a private, closed-door tea meeting, has changed,” said an official of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, who was accompanying Lee on his U.S. trip.

According to local pollster R&Search, Ban’s support rating as a potential presidential candidate stood at 25.2 percent, down 3.8 percent from the previous week, but still slightly ahead of Moon Jae-in, the top candidate for the Minjoo Party.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)