Entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo has recently met with several experts on a variety of issues, including North Korea and the economy, adding to speculation that he may have begun preparations for next year’s presidential election.

Ahn, who has grabbed the media spotlight as one of the strongest presidential contenders on the back of strong popularity particularly from young voters, has yet to clarify whether he will enter politics.

Local media speculated that the dean of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology has received “private lessons” from experts to deepen his knowledge about crucial state affairs.

“Yes, I have (recently) met him about twice over pending issues, as (Ahn’s side) contacted me. But you could go overboard though, if you call it ‘private lessons,’ I believe,” Kim Keun-sik, North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, told The Korea Herald.

Kim is a liberal scholar who has long espoused the so-called sunshine policy of engaging the communist neighbor. He was part of the South’s delegation to Pyongyang in 2007 when then-President Roh Moo-hyun had the second inter-Korean summit with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

In an apparent effort to stop the political interpretation of his moves, Ahn’s associates dismissed the media speculation, stressing that he has long met many experts as he simply likes to broaden his intellectual and academic horizons.

“Ahn, with a great academic enthusiasm, is basically interested in many different fields of studies. He has met with experts in various fields as he now heads the graduate school that encompasses humanities, society, technology and natural science,” lawyer Kang In-cheol, Ahn’s close associate, said in a media interview.

Some political observers believe that Ahn may consider making a political debut sometime in April when the general elections are slated to occur. Before then, he may continue to deepen his understanding of social, political, diplomatic and economic issues, they said.

“Ahn is rumored to have started studying state issues concerning various fields one or two months ago. The people surrounding him are also said to have formed a team of assistants for him,” an opposition lawmaker told media.

Ahn is soon to launch a foundation early next year, through which he plans to donate a substantial part of his wealth to society.

In November, Ahn said he would donate half his stocks in AhnLab, the country’s biggest antivirus software firm, to help educate children from low-income families. Ahn owns 37.1 percent of the shares in the firm he founded in 1995.

Ahn has recently been at the center of the political talks as he has risen as a potential top presidential runner with a wide backing from younger voters who admire him for his entrepreneurialism, nonpartisanship and willingness to keep facing challenges.

Ahn’s emergence came as the public had grown disenchanted with establishment politicians who they claim have become ensnared in wasteful partisan disputes in pursuit of their own self-interests.

In some popularity polls, Ahn was found to be even ahead of former Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye, who had long been the indisputable frontrunner.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)