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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has hinted that he may shortly run for the presidency of his native South Korea, BBC reports.

Mr Ban's term as the world's top diplomat expires at the end of December.

In his final press conference as UN chief, Mr Ban said that after some rest he will return to South Korea and consider how best to help his country.

"If what I have learned, seen and felt during my 10-year service as UN secretary-general could help advance Korea, I am more than willing to sacrifice myself for this cause," AsiaOne news reports citing Ban Ki-moon’s speech delivered during his final press conference.

Though Ban has not clarified his bid for the 2017 presidential race - only saying that he has been "giving much thought" to the plan - the career diplomat's remarks were widely viewed as his strongest declaration for a presidential bid since he first hinted about the plan in May this year.

When asked about which political party he would represent, Ban highlighted that he would not be bound by establishment political groups, saying that "political parties are not important" and that "political leaders must think beyond themselves."