Moon, Ahn Kick off Presidential Race, Kim Chong-in to Declare Bid
The presidential race has begun in earnest as former cochairman of the People’s Party Ahn Cheol-soo has been chosen as the party’s presidential nominee.
In his acceptance speech on Tuesday, Ahn said he will strive to become a president for the people.
The Democratic Party’s former emergency committee head Kim Chong-in on Wednesday will make his presidential bid official.
It is expected that the 76-year-old politician will seek an alliance to form a unified government with both the conservative and progressive blocs.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee Moon Jae-in has decided to create an election committee led by DP Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae.
Moon’s competitors during the presidential primaries, including South Chungcheong Governor Ahn Hee-jung and Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, will also join the election committee.
Liberty Korea candidate Hong Joon-pyo on Tuesday launched his regional election headquarters for the Daegu and North Gyeongsang province.
Hong also visited the birth home of late former President Park Chung-hee on Tuesday to symbolize that he is the proper successor of the conservative camp.
The Bareun Party candidate Yoo Sung-min on Tuesday told reporters it is nonsense for him and Hong to field a single candidate amid rising speculations of the two conservative candidates cooperating.
He said negotiations with Hong about the single candidacy would make him an unworthy candidate.