Ahn’s overwhelming popularity raises speculation of new party

With entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo tipped to enter the Seoul mayoral race, there is speculation that he might start a new political party.

Yoon Yeo-joon, a former Grand National Party lawmaker and election strategist, offered Sunday to take charge of Ahn’s election campaign. He also presented a plan to organize a new political group based on social networking, claiming that Ahn has a 90 percent chance of winning if he runs.

In a survey of 1,006 Seoul citizens by the JoongAng Ilbo Saturday, Ahn was ranked first among potential Seoul mayor candidates, with 39.5 percent.

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the Grand National Party followed with 13 percent, former liberal Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook with 10.9 percent, and former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan with 3.6 percent.

In another poll by GH Korea for the Kookmin Ilbo, Ahn got 36.7 percent, again outclassing Na and Han.

However, Ahn has refrained from officially announcing his candidacy.

“I have asked Yoon not to reveal ideas which are not mine,” Ahn told media Monday.

He also said that he was still considering whether he had the dedication and ability required for the post.

Park Won-soon, a civic activist lawyer, has declared he will run in the by-election as an independent candidate.

Some observers predict that Park and Ahn, who are close acquaintances, may form a unified independent election group.

The rise of the two non-partisan figures has taken political circles aback, especially the GNP.

“The initial public poll results are not necessarily proportionate to the support rate in the actual vote,” said GNP chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo on Monday during a radio interview hosted by professor and former announcer Sohn Seok-hee.

“The public seems to take an interest in him as he is a new face in the political arena and little is known about his thoughts.”

GNP Supreme Council member Rep. Nam Kyung-pil, however, regarded Ahn’s popularity as a sign of distrust with the main political parties.

The main opposition Democratic Party, though agitated by the unexpected support for Ahn, displayed a warm attitude toward him.

“The Seoul mayoral by-election is a major marking point in uniting the opposition camp, so all those who oppose the GNP should work together,” said DP chairman Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu in the party’s Supreme Council meeting on Monday.

Ahn, though unaligned with any party, has stated in recent interviews that he is against the political expansion of the GNP.

The candidates for the by-elections will register themselves on Oct. 6-7.

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