Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he will not run for president of South Korea.

Ban had generated interest as a top candidate to succeed Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in December over a corruption scandal, but his support in opinion polls has been falling.

He told reporters Wednesday he was disappointed by the country's political establishment. "I have decided to give up the pure intention of trying to lead political change and accomplish national reconciliation," he said.

Ban served for two years as South Korea's foreign minister before leading the U.N. for a decade.

A court is considering Park's impeachment, and if it upholds the decision, then a presidential election for her replacement would come two months later.

聯合國前秘書長潘基文周三表示，他不會競選韓國總統。

自去年12月韓國總統樸槿惠因腐敗丑聞遭議會彈劾后，潘基文已經成為人們感興趣的首選總統候選人，但他在民意調查中的支持率一直在下降。

潘基文星期三對記者說，他對韓國的政治機構感到失望。他說，“我已經決定放棄試圖領導政治變革和實現民族和解的單純想法。”

潘基文在擔任10年聯合國秘書長之前，曾任兩年韓國外交部長。

目前樸槿惠的彈劾案正在法庭審閱，如果彈劾決定不變的話，兩個月后將舉行替任總統的選舉。