Is Ahn rendering full support for Moon?

By Jun Ji-hye

Ahn Cheol-soo

There is no doubt that opposition candidate Moon Jae-in needs full-blooded support from former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo in order to score a victory against Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party in next week’s election.

However, the software-mogul-turned politician is still only providing lukewarm support to Moon of the Democratic United Party’s (DUP), even after Thursday’s announcement that he would fully back Moon.

Ahn was conspicuous by his absence at key campaign events. He has also refrained from drumming up support for Moon at key campaign sites, only repeating calls for political reforms.

Ahn did not show up in a “Gwanghwamun battle” where the two leading candidates, Moon and Park, went on an intense campaign confrontation in front of tens of thousands of supporters Saturday.

The opposition frontrunner delivered a speech emphasizing “new politics” a catchphrase he shares with Ahn, but his rival-turned-partner was not there.

Instead, Ahn visited Daehangno and COEX where many young people gathered and repeated his insistent line: “I will devote myself to achieving new politics and political renovation.”

At campaign stops, Ahn stopped short of asking people to vote for Moon.

Likewise, when they were together in Busan on Friday and in Sanbon on Sunday, the software mogul simply delivered messages encouraging people to vote and said things such as, “I will do my best.”

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said that support for Ahn will most likely remain less than what the DUP desires.

“Ahn’s trademark is liquidation of the old politics. He probably thinks the DUP and Moon cannot achieve such things because he said: ‘I will hold off realizing my dream of new politics,’” the professor said in his column Monday.

The ruling and the opposition parties interpreted Ahn’s support differently.

Park Kwang-on, a spokesman for Moon said, “Since the declaration of support, the dynamics of the election is going in a new direction. I think the Ahn effect started emerging sufficiently.”

On the other hand, Kwon Young-jin, who chairs planning and cooperation department for the ruling party, was doubtful, saying “Considering a recent series of surveys, the Ahn effect is not that huge.”