SEOUL: Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is believed to be considering a presidential run in South Korea, apologised on Saturday for causing public concerns over his family members who had been named in a bribery case in the United States.

Ban said in a statement he hoped any discussions between law enforcement authorities of South Korea and the United States - if they were taking place as reported - would be "strict and transparent" so that there is no suspicion left in the South Korean public.

He also reiterated he has "absolutely no knowledge" of the case. A US prosecutor has said Washington has asked South Korea to arrest Ban's brother, Ki-sang, on charges he engaged in a bribery scheme to carry out the sale of a Vietnamese building complex.

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