PHOTOS Ex-presidential candidate Ahn declares bid for Seoul mayor

Ahn Cheol-soo, a former opposition leader and presidential candidate, declares his bid for Seoul mayor in the June 13 elections at the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Ahn Cheol-soo, a former opposition leader and presidential candidate, officially declared his bid to run in June's Seoul mayoral election on Wednesday, setting the stage for a likely showdown with heavyweight rivals from two major parties.

Ahn, currently the candidate recruitment chief of the minor Bareunmirae Party, joined the high-profile race, as the nascent party struggles to cement its political foothold amid low support ratings and difficulties in finding promising candidates for the local elections.

Much is at stake for Ahn, given that an electoral defeat could dent his presidential ambitions and stymie his efforts to position his party as a centrist alternative to the ruling Democratic Party and main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), observers said.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a former opposition leader and presidential candidate, declares his bid for Seoul mayor in the June 13 elections at the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

In 2011, Ahn considered running in a by-election for the Seoul mayoralty with his then support ratings exceeding 50 percent. But he quit the race, lending his support to then-candidate Park Won-soon who won the election and is now seeking a third term.

Rival parties have been striving to clinch a win in the race for the Seoul mayoralty ― a coveted post seen as a springboard to the presidency ― or at least an opportunity to garner significant political recognition.

Running the country's largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 10 million, and an annual budget of some 30 trillion won ($28.4 billion), has often been compared to leading a state government.

In the ruling party, a three-way competition is shaping up to get a ticket for the Seoul mayoral election. Current Mayor Park aside, Reps. Park Young-sun and Woo Sang-ho have declared their bids for the election.

The LKP plans to confirm former Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo, an ultra-rightist, as its candidate for the Seoul mayor election during its Supreme Council meeting on Friday.

Talk of Ahn's party and the LKP unifying candidacy for the election has emerged. But Ahn has ruled out the possibility, saying the LKP is a "subject to defeat." (Yonhap)

Ahn Cheol-soo (left), a former opposition leader and presidential candidate, declares his bid for Seoul mayor in the June 13 elections at the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk