SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited police officers and firefighters on Friday, in line with his latest efforts to hint at his presidential ambitions.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tries on a uniform during his visit to a Seoul-based fire station on Jan. 27, 2017. (Yonhap)

"The top role of the country is to secure the safety, lives, and assets of the people," Ban said during his visit to a local fire station. He highlighted that South Korea's emergency rescue team has received top marks from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group.

During a separate visit to a police station, Ban also said he was proud of South Korean police serving in the U.N. Peacekeeping Force while he was in office.

Since returning home earlier this month after serving two terms as the U.N. head, Ban has been meeting various politicians while making visits to different areas of the country, in an apparent move to promote his presidential bid.

Ban has not yet made his intention to run for the race official, but he has been leading opinion polls among conservative figures. He is also the second-most-favored figure among all hopefuls, next to Moon Jae-in, a potential rival from the main opposition Democratic Party.

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