hankyoreh

By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter

According to a four-line commentary Ahn Cheol-soo sent to reporters on June 19, the software mogul is still noncommittal about the possibility of entering politics. The short message, directed at the Democratic United Party, merely said that people should respect each other’s territory without hurting one another. It said nothing about what Ahn would be doing, when, or how. Yoo Min-young, who has been acting as his media liaison, said on June 20 that Ahn was “focusing deeply on the question” of whether to run for the presidency.

There are some ways of gauging which choice he will make. Perhaps the most crucial is whether he carries on into the second semester as dean of the Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology. Observers predicted previously that if he did make up his mind, he would change his routine some time around June, when the first semester schedule ends. Some expected him to speak more actively about politics in a format besides university lectures, or begin assembling people into a forum as a first step toward organizing an election camp.

A member of his current camp said Ahn “had never planned to give lectures during the next semester, and he may carry on with his everyday administrative activities [as dean] and advise [graduate students] on their theses.” For now, he seems to have no plans to change jobs.

Yoo opened the door somewhat for speculation, saying, “At the moment, he’s finishing up with the current semester, and I haven’t had any deep discussions or shared thoughts with him” on whether Ahn would stay on during the second semester.

Another gauge is the nature of his new book, which is scheduled for a July release. Originally slated to come out in early 2012, it has undergone major revisions. Ahn is reportedly at work now on the last draft before submitting it to the publishing company. If it turns out to include specifics on his governance philosophy and vision, it may be seen as a declaration of candidacy.

Yoo said it would “express his current concerns as an extension of what he said at Pusan National University.” At that lecture on May 30, Ahn asked, “What specific things do we have to do to create a society where everyone’s happy and has hope for the future?” He went on to say, “There may be several answers, but I think there are three themes in particular. I believe the major questions put before our generation today are welfare, justice, and peace.”

Another yardstick may be whether Ahn arranges a place for Yoo, who gave up his job heading a consulting company to aid him. At the moment, Yoo is based out of his car, as well as cafes and restaurants in Seoul’s Yeouido area, the country’s political hub and home to the National Assembly. He is now in a gray area where he has begun laying the basic groundwork for a presidential run even as Ahn has yet to make a decision. Workspace for Yoo, his only political adviser, and an employee of neither AhnLab nor the Ahn Cheol-soo Foundation, could be seen as a preliminary election camp, a signal that Ahn is leaning towards entering politics.

When asked in a telephone interview with the Hankyoreh when he would be getting an office, Yoo jokingly replied, “It could end like this.”

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]