‘Ahn tsunami’ poised to wash away GNP’s Park, politics as usual

Posted on : 2011-09-08 09:54 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
While Ahn Cheol-soo has declined to run, his impact shows changing dynamics of presidential race

By Lee Tae-hee, Staff Writer

Ahn Cheol-soo, dean of Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, responded to a journalist’s question Wednesday about whether he would run for president by saying, “That’s absurd.” Earlier this week, Ahn also declared that he would not be running in the Seoul mayoral by-election.

In an encounter with journalists on his way to work, Ahn responded to being told that a poll put his support rating ahead of former Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye by saying, “That’s just temporary.” Ahn appears to be emphatically stating he has no plans for a presidential bid.

While Ahn himself may stay out of real politics, his presence has already penetrated deep within the political sphere. Early on, a number of opinion polls had him ahead of Park in a one-on-one contest for the presidency. A Newsis-Mono Research survey Tuesday found Ahn scoring 42.4 percent of votes as a unified opposition candidate, surpassing Park’s 40.5 percent within the margin of error. A Realmeter poll the same day had Ahn with 43.2 percent against Park’s 40.6 percent in a head-to-head contest.

The figures show the power of the “generous Ahn Cheol-soo.” Myongji University political science professor Shin Yul said, “Because Ahn gave up his candidacy for Mayor of Seoul while he was polling in first place, the public goes wilder for him the more he says no.”

Above all else, the “Ahn phenomenon” speaks to a desire for changes in the current political scene. Myongji University professor Kim Hyung-joon said, “The people of South Korea want new leadership that transcends region, ideology, and factionalism rather than relying on them.”

“What the Ahn Cheol-soo phenomenon is pointing to is a unified leadership that transcends ruling and opposition party or conservative and progressive divisions,” Kim said.

Kyung Hee University liberal arts professor Kim Meen-geon said, “Under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the elites in South Korean society have shown that they are willing to break the rules for the sake of personal gains.”

“Ahn Cheol-soo is someone in the opposite position,” Kim explained.

Some observers are predicting inevitable changes to the presidential election dynamics as a result of the “Ahn variable.”

Research Plus head Lim Sang-ryeol said, “With Ahn gaining attention, people have been reconsidering the predictions about Park Geun-hye’s invulnerability.”

Lim said Ahn’s presence “made people who were vaguely supporting Park realize, ‘Hey, there are other possibilities.’”

Kim Hyung-joon said, “The biggest victim of the Ahn tsunami is Park Geun-hye.”

“She lost once, however temporarily, and it could happen again,” Kim said.

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