By Chung Min-uck
Ahn Cheol-soo appeared determined to dispel rumors surrounding him after he declared his presidential ambitions during a press conference held in the Salvation Army Art Hall in Seoul, Wednesday.
The entrepreneur-turned-professor said “there are many rumors about me” and regarded them as “merely a sign that people have an interest in me.”
He pledged efforts to “root out” such attempts to undermine his image.
Most of the rumors are unconfirmed. , however, observers say they could possibly hold back Ahn’s path to the presidency if evidence supporting them is unearthed.
One such rumor is that he frequented hostess bars ― last month it topped the number of searches on various Internet portals.
There have been accounts that the 50-year-old Ahnlab founder had an extramarital relationship with one of the women who worked at one of the bars.
Another rumor is that Ahn has a girlfriend who is a university student.
These began to circulate when Geum Tae-seop, a lawyer and close friend of Ahn, revealed earlier this month that Jeong Joon-gil, a former prosecutor and member of the ruling Saenuri Party’s public relations team, threatened to expose Ahn’s extramarital affairs and cases of bribery if Ahn were to run for the top post.
One alleged Ahn received bribes in the process of the Korea Development Bank’s investment into Ahnlab.
However, no evidence of bribery could be found in any of the prosecutors’ investigations.
On a Facebook account, Geum said “those claims are groundless.” I would like to know the source of these rumors because whoever is spreading them is working in an organized way.”
Geum added there was a possibility of prominent politicians and government officials planting the seeds of rumors with reporters.
Jeong also admitted in a media interview after the revelation “no specific investigation has been made into Ahn committing bribery.”
Another rumor involving Ahn is an accusation that he acquired an apartment under his name when he was 28 in a redevelopment area. Also it is alleged that Ahn, who is known to support small- and medium- size businesses, was pressed into signing a petition calling for the 2003 rescue of Chey Tae-won, the SK Group chairman, because the latter had invested in an affiliate of AhnLab.
Ahn later apologized for signing the petition for Chey who had been accused of accounting fraud.