Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Ahn set to ignite political realignment
Ahn Cheol-soo, clad in plastic rain coat, delivers a thank-you speech to residents via a loudspeaker in Sanggye-dong, eastern Seoul, Thursday, after winning the Nowon-C District by-election for a seat in the National Assembly. The software-tycoon-turned politician defeated Huh Joon-young, the candidate from the ruling Saenuri Party. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Ahn Cheol-soo’s overwhelming victory in Wednesday’s by-election in Seoul’s Nowon district is expected to be a catalyst for political realignment, especially among the opposition, analysts said Thursday.
Ahn won 60 percent of the vote against the ruling Saenuri Party’s Huh Joon-young who received 32 percent.
The landslide victory will provide significant leverage for the brand-new politician to help realignment within the stagnant political sector.
Ahn’s rise, however, is a significant blow to the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) which suffered humiliating defeats in all districts where they fielded candidates.
Most experts say Ahn’s National Assembly entry could bring about a power shift among the opposition, describing it as “the second Ahn sensation.”
“Ahn scored a landslide victory in the by-election. This will lead to an influx of new blood into the political arena. In particular, there is a greater possibility that a significant number of members in the DUP and other minor parties could be swayed,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
The DUP had been almost non-existent in the by-elections. Its candidates in Yeongdo, Busan, and Buyeo-Cheongyang in South Chungcheong Province were no match for their conservative counterparts, Kim Moo-sung and Lee Wan-koo.
The party also chose not to field a candidate in Nowon as a concession to Ahn for withdrawing his bid to benefit the DUP’s candidate Moon Jae-in during last year’s presidential poll.
“There is no pivotal figure in the DUP. It has not resolved its factional disputes since the presidential election defeat either. They seem to have lost a sense of direction. These resulted in the party losing public attention,” said political analyst Lee Kang-yun.
Lee said people seem to have no interest in who will be elected to its leadership in its national convention scheduled for May 4.
The DUP still hopes that Ahn will join hands with the liberal party. DUP spokesman Park Yong-jin said, “We hope Ahn’s victory will help expand the opposition side, rather than splitting it.”
However, most analysts speculate that Ahn is planning on creating a new party rather than joining the DUP.
“Some say he could join the DUP, but this is just wishful thinking from that party. He will most likely launch his own party,” said Myongji University’s Shin.
Analysts expect Ahn to establish a new party before further by-elections slated for October, when more than 10 parliamentary seats will be up for grabs.
Analysts also say that Sohn Hak-kyu, the DUP’s senior advisor, would act as a bridge between Ahn and the party if Ahn decides to form a new party because both Sohn and Ahn are politically moderate and do not follow the ideas of late President Roh Moo-hyun.
Sohn left for Germany in January to undertake research on welfare policies and work practices at the Free University of Berlin and is returning home in July.
The software mogul-turned-politician, however, now faces the task of identifying what his new politics are.
“He eventually entered the political system. What kind of reaction he will receive at the Assembly is more important. He will need to specify what his vision is, which has been an ambiguous area so far,” Shin said.