SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a televised press conference Thursday that South Korea should achieve a grand unity, vowing to devote himself to uniting the country.
Ban arrived in his home country after ending his second, five-year term in the top UN post late last year.
He has been long viewed as the most powerful contender of the conservative bloc in the next presidential race as President Park Geun-hye was impeached a month earlier and her Saenuri Party saw a drop in public support.
Local media outlets have speculated that Ban actually unveiled his willingness to run for presidency though he has never officially declared his candidacy.
Ban said his country should end various internal divisions, including wealth inequality and conflicts in ideologies, regions and generations, stressing the grand unity must be achieved.
The former South Korean diplomat reiterated his pledge to devote himself to South Korea, saying that public wish disclosed in the square must be cherished.
NEW YORK Chase Winovich Hat , Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks slumped amid downbeat data Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Index below the psychologically key 16,000 level, as a heavy sell-off in Asian and European markets and a plunge in oil prices rattled nervous investors.
The Dow tumbled 390.97 points, or 2.39 percent Joejuan Williams Hat , to 15,988.08. The S&P 500 slid 41.55 points, or 2.16 percent, to 1,880.29. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 126.59 points N'Keal Harry Hat , or 2.74 percent, to 4,488.42.
Chinese shares sank Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index going below 2,900 points during afternoon trading. At close Danny Etling Hoodie , the Shanghai index decreased 3.55 percent to 2,900.97 points.
European equities also ended sharply lower, with French benchmark index CAC 40 falling 2.38 percent, weighed by deep losses in Asian stocks and sharp declines in commodities prices.
Adding to the pessimism in the market, oil prices plunged further Friday Duke Dawson Hoodie , with both the U.S. oil and the Brent crude dropping over 5 percent to settle below 30 U.S. dollars a barrel for the first time in 12 years.
The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery slipped 1.78 U.S. dollars to settle at 29.42 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for February delivery decreased 2.09 dollars to close at 28.94 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.