Seoul, April 12 Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Saturday that he will not be running in the June 3 presidential election as he apologised over the "failure" of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's government.

Oh made the announcement at the conservative People Power Party's headquarters in western Seoul against expectations he would run for the upcoming election, triggered by Yoon's ouster over his failed martial law bid in December.

"To restore the abnormal back to normal, I will be the priming water, like a soldier without a rank," he said.

"I feel indescribable despair and infinite responsibility for the impeachment of the president our party produced."

"I humbly apologise for the halt to state affairs and bringing big disappointment to the people," he said. "No one in our party is free from responsibility for the failure of the Yoon Suk Yeol government."

He called on his party and presidential hopefuls to focus on growth and helping the underprivileged, vowing to support efforts to create a new government with those who share his goals, Yonhap news agency reported.

Multiple conservative politicians have announced their bids for the upcoming election, including former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.