By Na Jeong-ju

The election watchdog said Friday that there is no legal problem for former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to run in the presidential election.

Under the Presidential Election Law, a South Korean national should reside in the country for at least five years to be eligible to run for the presidency as of the election day.

Some opposition lawmakers have questioned Ban's qualifications as a presidential candidate, claiming that only those who "have resided" in the country for five years as of the election day are allowed to run. As the U.N. chief, since Ban lived overseas for years, he is unqualified as a candidate, they claim.

However, the National Election Commission (NEC) said the lawmakers misinterpreted the law.

"A clause for the continuity of residence was discarded through a revision in 1987," the commission said in a press release. "There is no legal problem for Ban to seek the presidential office."

The NEC, however, said Ban is not eligible to enter the race in a local election because continuity of residence is a requirement for candidates running in local elections.