Ban abandons South Korea presidency bid

Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon abruptly ended his attempt to seek South Korea's presidency yesterday, dropping a lifetime of diplomacy to denounce his country's political establishment.

Ban returned home last month after a decade in New York and was widely expected to run in elections due this year, but his putative candidacy ran into a series of stumbles and he struggled for backing.

"I will give up my pure intention to bring about a change in politics under my leadership and to unify the country," he told reporters at a hastily arranged press conference. "I'm sorry for disappointing many people."

"I was very disappointed by the parochial, selfish attitudes of some politicians," he said yesterday. "I reached a conclusion that it would be meaningless to move forward with them."

Although he never officially declared he was running, the former UN chief embarked on a series of public appearances and repeatedly spoke of the need to bring about a "change in politics" in the country.