Who cares if Ahn Cheol-soo runs for president or not?

Ahn Cheol-soo, a lawmaker of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), made public his intention to run for president in 2017 in a radio talk show on Tuesday. After avoiding the first two questions about his presidential ambition, he gave a clear answer to the third, saying, "Certainly." With more than 30 months to go before the next presidential election, the remark spawned plenty of speculations. While the public remained calm, "Ahn-themed" stocks surged by the daily limit on the local stock market.

As Ahn`s remark became an issue, those close to him said it was "exaggerated" and "should not be taken seriously." They suggested that Ahn did not intend to make the remark but had no choice but to reveal his true intention because of the stubborn questions. The explanations are not convincing. If Ahn really wanted to prevent misunderstanding, he should have continued to avoid giving a clear answer. When he met Chung Dai-chul, an advisor to the NAPD, on Tuesday, Ahn reportedly said he would "properly" prepare for the next presidential election.

Ahn is often considered indecisive. In 2012, he failed to make clear whether he would run for president or not until the last minute, maintaining an ambiguous attitude and saying, "It is not what I get to choose but what is given to me." To a presidential aspirant, an indecisive image is fatal. Although Ahn never admits it, that is the way the public sees him. Was Ahn`s provocative reply on the radio talk show possibly a highly calculated one aimed at improving his image?

Ahn did not attend the NPAD`s two-day workshop of lawmakers. No matter what the reason was, it is hard to understand that Ahn, a former NPAD chairman, failed to participate in his party`s official gathering for seeking its way out of its current crisis. Then, he made his presidential bid official. Was it an expression Ahn`s intention to go a separate way from Moon Jae-in, the current NPAD chairman and Ahn`s strong presidential rival? If Ahn intends to run as the NPAD candidate, it would be right for him to join forces to revive his party. Unless he plans to start his own party.

jinnyong@donga.com