Ahn pulls out of race with eye on coalition government with Yoon

People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, right, looks at main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol during a press conference on their campaign merger at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

Ahn withdraws from personal campaign under pressure to avoid post-election finger-pointing, in event of DPK win

By Nam Hyun-woo

People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who was in No. 3 position according to surveys for several months, withdrew his presidential bid to support main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.

Ahn's decision to drop out of the presidential race came as a surprise to many, mainly because he reiterated several times his unshakable will to run to the finish whenever rumors about a merger with Yoon emerged.

In view of his stalwart position on his presidential bid, people are trying to make sense of to his sudden decision to drop out of the race to back Yoon.

A potential twist was observed on Tuesday, when Ahn told reporters that he was willing to meet "any politicians to talk about important topics." He then agreed to give up the race for Yoon. What's more surprising is that there seem to be no strings attached to his decision to sign off on the deal to field a single candidate with the PPP.

It was Ahn who reportedly proposed a meeting with Yoon on Wednesday night.

Political pundits speculate that Ahn would have felt pressure about the presidential election results, in the event of an election victory for ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)'s candidate Lee Jae-myung.

Ahn Cheol-soo steps aside for Yoon Suk-yeol

2022-03-03 16:42

Ahn's support rate once reached a peak of 15 percent earlier this year, but it has since fallen to a single-digit figure in several recent polls. He came in third, in a close two-way race between the PPP and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.

With PPP's Yoon and DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung in a neck-and-neck race, pressures have been mounting on Ahn that his intention to finish the race may impede the opposition bloc's "greater cause of ending the DPK's rule." And such a rationale may threaten Ahn's political career after the presidential election, as people would blame him as the culprit, jeopardizing the opposition bloc's cause, pundits said.

Ahn also mentioned "the greater cause" as the reason for his withdrawal.

"During last year's by-election for Seoul mayor, I sacrificed myself to make Korea a better country," Ahn said. "Despite the losses I may take, I thought following the greater cause was the right choice."

Main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, left, hugs People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, after the announcement of their unified candidacy at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

Doubts from his supporters also appeared to have affected Ahn to drop his candidacy.

On Tuesday, In Myung-jin, former interim head of PPP's predecessor, the Liberty Korea Party, and a number of influential figures withdrew their support for Ahn. In said in a press conference that "Ahn has abandoned his duty of leadership change with his intention to finish the presidential race."

Ahn's support rate being stuck in the single-digits, without showing any signs for a dramatic rebound, weakened any leverage he may have had to convince Yoon and the PPP to select him as a unified candidate, based on surveys.

Surveys held in January or early February showed voters prefer Ahn over Yoon as their unified candidates, and chances are higher for Ahn to beat DPK's Lee, if Yoon stands behind Ahn. In the latest surveys, however, Yoon's chance of beating Lee without a Yoon-Ahn coalition became higher, while Ahn was shedding his support over protracted talks for the unified candidacy.

Ahn apparently opted to endorse Yoon as next president, giving the impression that he compromised his presidential bids for the greater cause of the opposition bloc in order to seek greater clout in the Yoon administration. During his press conference, Ahn dropped hints at his intention to join the Cabinet if Yoon wins the election.

Ahn's decision, however, is anticipated to bring adverse impacts, as this is the fourth time that the 60-year-old has not finished his campaign in major elections.

In 2011, Ahn gave up his candidacy to help former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon win the post, and then withdrew his presidential bid in 2012 to support then-Democratic United Party candidate Moon Jae-in. In April, Ahn lost to Oh Se-hoon in a poll to pick a single opposition candidate for the Seoul mayor post from the opposition bloc, and Oh claimed the position after beating a DPK candidate.

Due to his record, Ahn has been struggling with the negative impression related to his repeated withdrawal throughout his presidential campaigns. By withdrawing his election bid again, the pattern he has established could put weight on the public's opinion of him, watchers said.

"I think there are many people disappointed by my decision today, and there are also many people who want me to remain as the third-party candidate to fight for the country," Ahn said. "I apologize to them, and will recompense by making Korea a better country."