SEOUL — Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday that he won’t run for South Korea’s presidency, a surprise announcement that removes a key figure in the scramble to replace impeached President Park Geun-hye and further stirs the country’s already tumultuous politics.
The withdrawal of Ban, who had been considered the only major conservative contender, boosts liberal Moon Jae-in, who has enjoyed a comfortable lead in opinion surveys since Park was impeached in December.
Ban, during a hastily arranged news conference, said he had wanted to use his 10 years of experience as UN chief to resolve a national crisis and achieve unity. But he said his “pure patriotism” and pushes for a political reform were badly damaged by political slandering and by “various fake news” that targeted him.
He did not elaborate, but Ban has faced growing media questions about his political competence and about corruption allegations.
“I was also very disappointed by old-fashioned, narrow-minded egoistic attitudes by some politicians, and I came to a conclusion that it would be meaningless to work together with them,” he said.
Politics in South Korea have been upended by a massive scandal involving Park and her confidante, which prompted millions to take to the streets in protest. — AP
