Ahn declares plan to resume political activity following year of hiatus

SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- With around 100 days left before the April parliamentary elections, Ahn Cheol-soo, a co-founder of the minor Bareunmirae Party (BP), announced his plan to resume political activity Thursday, following about one year of a hiatus.

Ahn, former leader of the party, declared his plan to retreat from the political scene for a while in July 2018 after his defeat in the Seoul mayoral race the previous month. He left South Korea for overseas studies.

"After I return (to politics), I'll consider how to change Korean politics and how the Republic of Korea should move toward the future," Ahn wrote on his Facebook page.

"I've been deeply thinking about whether it is right for me to resume political activity. As the people have lead me to the political path, I will march toward the future with the people," he added.

Ahn's supporters in the BP have called for his swift return to politics as the party is in disarray due to a factional feud ahead of the April 15 general elections.

Ahn, a doctor-turned-computer expert, gained popularity among young Koreans when he entered politics in 2011 with a relatively clean image.

He was a front-runner ahead of the 2011 by-election for Seoul mayor but later dropped his bid and supported Park Won-soon, who is now the Seoul mayor.

Ahn, a former presidential candidate, withdrew from the presidential race in November 2012, less than a month before the election, giving his support for Moon Jae-in, then candidate of the main opposition party. He ran for the presidential election in May 2017 but failed to win.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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