An official at South Korea's Unification Ministry is dismissing North Korea's criticism of Ban Ki-moon as a"blatant attempt" to interfere with South Korea's presidential election.

The North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper this week accused Ban, former U.N. secretary-general and a leading prospective presidential contender, of actively taking part in what Pyongyang describes as a "ruckus" targeting the North by South Korea and the United States.

The Unification Ministry official says it is typical for North Korea to criticize candidates it finds unfavorable in the run-up to South Korean elections.