Former U.N. chief Ban says not running for president of South Korea - media


Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks during his news conference in Seoul, South Korea January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL (Reuters) - Former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, once considered front-runner to be the next South Korean president, ruled out a run for the job on Wednesday, saying he was "disappointed at the selfish ways" of some politicians and complaining of "fake news".

Ban told reporters at parliament, after meeting conservative party leaders, that he had been subject to "malign slander akin to character assassination" in the media and had given up his "patriotic" plan to lead political change.

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