By Kang Hyun-kyung
Ahn Cheol-soo, an IT mogul-turned-professor, indicated Monday he would seek political participation if he thought he could play a role for the betterment of the society.
During a press conference in downtown Seoul, Ahn said he had been thinking how he could make positive changes in society. “Politics can be one of the areas (where I can make a difference),” he told reporters when asked about his future plans.
But the dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University cautioned against any political reading into his donation of wealth to establish a charity foundation. He insisted his purpose was pure: doing something good for the underprivileged.
The computer expert, who founded anti-virus software company AhnLab, remained mum on the hot issue of whether he will run in the presidential race, refusing to answer the question directly.
He said he wouldn’t take any questions about politics.
Ahn indicated he would not be deeply involved in the daily operations of the foundation.
“I proposed the idea and donated money to finance it. I think that my role and involvement is nearly done,” he told reporters.
According to him, the foundation will focus on investing resources in helping start-ups, children from low-income families and those who have made a contribution to the community.
He added he created the foundation in the hopes that it can inspire the community to follow suit.
Ahn held the press conference to unveil how it will be operated.
Since last year when his alleged intention to run in the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election was first reported, the 50-year-old has met reporters intermittently.
He spoke to journalists in November of his plan to donate nearly 150 billion won to create the charity foundation.
His alleged presidential ambitions drew attention again in December as local media reported Ahn had been receiving tutoring from experts on North Korea, foreign policy, economics and social policy.
His trip to the United States in January also drew a media frenzy as he showed a willingness to consider politics as a career, although it was not clear enough to confirm his motives.
There was a subtle change in his tone after he returned to Seoul. Analysts took this as meaning that he changed his mind during the trip.
Speculation is rampant mainly because of his unclear position about any political ambitions.
The medical doctor-turned-computer expert has not clarified whether he will join politics or not, but he has also never flatly denied the possibility of running in the presidential election.
Yoon Hee-woong, a senior fellow of the Korea Society Opinion Institute, interpreted this as Ahn’s intended strategic ambiguity.
“Seen from his moves, I believe he is still interested in the top job,” he said. “Ahn seems to believe that he is not prepared for the presidential campaign. He appears to feel pressure from the media as all eyes are on him, but at the same time he won’t feel comfortable if public attention fades away.”
Ahn is the most popular potential presidential candidate. In two-way polls, he is still a frontrunner distancing Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party by a single-digit margin. Previously, the gap between Ahn and Park was in the double digits. But it narrowed after Ahn showed unwillingness to run in the presidential race after he returned from the U.S. trip in January.
In a three-way competition that includes Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party, Ahn came in second. But his ratings are still robust.