Ahn Cheol-soo’s supporters believe that as South Korean president he’ll rise above a political culture long bogged down by corruption and factional bickeri
SEOUL – Ahn Cheol-soo’s supporters believe that as South Korean president he’ ll rise above a political culture long bogged down by corruption and factional bickering. His critics say the former computer software mogul is torn between his slogans that cater to both liberal and conservative voters.
Opinion surveys see Ahn as coming in second in Tuesday’s vote to Moon Jae-in, who seems to be capitalizing on conservative disarray following the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye, who was jailed in March on corruption charges.
However, South Korean elections can be tricky to predict because the electorate is deeply split along ideological lines. Surveys have suggested Ahn was attracting conservative voters disappointed by Park but who continue to dislike Moon, who calls for engagement with belligerent North Korea.
Ahn says he, instead of a more traditional politician like Moon, can better rebuild the country after Park’s fall, which he says exposed a decades-long “accumulation of evils, ” such as abuse of presidential power and corruptive ties between politicians and big businesses.
Ahn wants to curb the excess of the “chaebol, ” referring to a privileged group of family-owned conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai, which have been criticized for bribing politicians for business favors and unfairly crushing smaller companies in competition.
