Group of ex-party members and liberals urge Ahn to enter presidential race


The main opposition Democratic United Party kicked off its primary process Thursday to select a single candidate to stand against Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party in the year-end presidential election.

Senior figures of the liberal opposition camp issued a joint statement to urge Professor Ahn Cheol-soo to join the race, whether as a party member or as an independent contestant.

The DUP’s four presidential aspirants ― Moon Jae-in, Chung Sye-kyun, Sohn Hak-kyu and Kim Doo-kwan ― presented their policies in the first televised debate on Thursday, the first official event of the party’s nomination race. 

Candidates are to tour around the country for provincial votes, starting with Jeju this weekend. The primary tour will end in Seoul on Sept. 16. If no candidate wins by a majority vote, the top two contenders will face a run-off election on Sept. 23.

Though former presidential aide Rep. Moon is taking the lead with around 34 percent support in polls, the competition is expected to be tighter than in the Saenuri Party’s recently-concluded primary, in which Rep. Park grabbed an easy victory as predicted.

While bracing itself for the candidate selection, the party upped pressure on non-party presidential potential candidate Ahn to decide his future course. Ahn, who trails behind the Saenuri candidate, while leading all liberal presidential candidates in polls, is seen as a key variable in the presidential race.

A group of former DUP members and liberal activists issued a joint statement on Thursday, urging the professor once again to join the left-wing camp.

“We do not intend to press Ahn for a decision, but it is true that he may no longer go back,” they said in the statement.

The Seoul National University professor took a step closer to announcing his presidential bid by publishing his book and appearing on a popular television talk show last month, presenting his thoughts and policies to the public.

He nevertheless refrained from responding directly to the DUP’s pressure.

“Ahn is still listening to the people’s opinion,” said his spokesperson Yoo Min-young.

Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon predicted that Ahn is not likely to join the DUP’s primary.

“The voters support Ahn as he carries an independent image, free from conventional politics,” the mayor said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

The DUP membership may offer advantages such as organized campaigns and election funds but may also cost him a large number of neutral voters and party skeptics, he said.

Park, too, was elected as a non-party candidate in last year’s mayoral by-election.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)