Ahn to announce stance on pres. bid after party convention

Potential presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Tuesday said he will announce whether to run in the December election soon after the main opposition Democratic United Party nominates its standard-bearer.

Many analysts say this announcement means the declaration of his presidential bid. Ahn created a successful anti-virus PC program before taking over as dean of Seoul National University`s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology.

Ahn`s spokesman Yoo Min-yeong said in an email to reporters Tuesday afternoon, “Ahn said he will announce his position on whether to run for president in several days after the Democratic United Party selects its presidential candidate.”“Ahn has listened to diverse views from the public since the publication of his book ‘Ahn Cheol-soo’s Thoughts’ in July," Yoo said, adding, "He has met and shared thoughts with people from diverse fields, classes and regions, and now plans to report to the people as promised.”

The opposition party`s presidential candidate will be elected Sunday without a run-off and a week later with a runoff. Therefore, Ahn will announce his position as early as next week or as late as Sept. 25.

On the timing of Ahn’s forthcoming announcement after the party names its candidate, Rep. Song Ho-chang of the Democratic United Party, who is close to Ahn, said, “He won`t announce his position before the end of our party’s convention as a gesture to respect the party’s nomination race." But certain analysts say the move is meant to curb the "convention effect," in which the approval rating of a party’s candidate escalates soon after nomination.

Asked about the possibility of Ahn forming a new party in a cable TV interview Tuesday, Song said, “I think chances are quite low that he will do so.”

If Ahn decides to run in December, he will turn the presidential election into a three-way race with ruling Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye and the Democratic United Party’s nominee. The election race will likely heat up due to a bid to field a unified candidate between Ahn and the Democratic United Party’s candidate.

leon@donga.com