Ahn to decide on presidential bid after DUP's primary

Software entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo said Tuesday he will announce whether he will run for president after the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) nominates its candidate for December's election, according to his spokesman.

Ahn, who has been widely regarded as a potential opposition contender, will make the announcement "within a few days after" the DUP nominates its candidate, his spokesman, Yoo Min-young, said.

The DUP is scheduled to pick its standard-bearer on Sunday, but if none of its four contenders wins 50 percent or more of all votes cast in the party's ongoing primary, it will hold a run-off between the top two on Sept. 23.

"Dean Ahn has listened to the wide-ranging views of the public ever since the publication of his book in July," Yoo said. "He has met and shared thoughts with people from diverse fields, classes and regions, and now he plans to report to the people as he promised."

Given his high approval ratings and strong following especially among young Koreans, Ahn is widely expected to throw his hat into the ring. The founder of anti-virus software firm AhnLab, who currently serves as dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University, first demonstrated his political influence last October when his backing was seen as having helped an independent candidate become mayor of Seoul.

"(Ahn) is not announcing his position on a presidential bid before the end of the DUP primary because he doesn't want to influence the race," said an aide to Ahn, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's safe to say that there's little chance of (Ahn) not running for president."

A bid from Ahn is expected to set off a two-way race between the professor and the DUP on one side and the ruling party's presidential candidate, Park Geun-hye, on the other.

Ahn and the DUP could join forces and field a single opposition candidate to boost their chances against Park, political watchers said. (Yonhap)