DP predicts win, while GNP denies Ahn effect on race
Professor Ahn Cheol-soo finally responded to the liberal bloc’s repeated calls on Sunday and announced he would campaign for candidate Park Won-soon ahead of Wednesday’s Seoul mayoral election.
The Seoul National University professor expressed his intent to support the civic activist, according to sources in Park’s camp.
Ahn Cheol-soo (left) visits Park Won-soon’s campaign office on Monday. (Yonhap News)
Na Kyung-won (Yonhap News)
“Ahn called Park this evening and offered his hand, saying that he shall specify and confirm his decision tomorrow,” said Park’s spokesperson on Sunday.
The two met on Monday afternoon at Park’s campaign headquarters in Jongno-gu.
“I urge you to lead, as mayor, a society in which people may build up their dreams based on common sense,” said Ahn.
“I trust that the people will make a wise choice on Wednesday.”
Some claimed that Ahn’s words were no more than a vague message of encouragement, but his move still stirred both camps.
Whereas the main opposition Democratic Party fully welcomed Ahn’s decision, the ruling Grand National Party dismissed the size of his influence, claiming that the professor’s decision would not affect the results of the race.
“Ahn’s participation in the campaign will encourage the swing voters to step out and solidify Park’s victory,” said a DP spokesperson. He also said that the backlash from the GNP camp proved Ahn’s influence.
GNP chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, however, blasted Ahn for taking advantage of his academic position to extend his political reach.
“Ahn, as a national university professor, should not snoop around the political arena, making use of his academic reputation and taking sides with a specific party,” he said in the party’s Supreme Council meeting on Monday. “Should he truly aspire to join politics, he is first to give up his position as professor.”
GNP candidate Na Kyung-won also attacked her liberal rival for relying on Ahn’s reputation.
“This imminent race is to be the showdown of Park Won-soon versus Na Kyung-won,” she said in a radio interview on Monday morning.
“Whatever influence Ahn may have had on the mayoral race, it has already been reflected in past public polls and voters will no longer turn in favor of Park, just because Ahn already announced his support.”
She resolved to carry out her campaign plans to meet the people without being fazed by Ahn or the liberal camp.
Though controversies remained as to how far the SNU professor would be willing to go in campaigning, his appearance once again gave rise to speculation that he may rise as a potential candidate in next year’s presidential race.
This was especially so as Ahn’s position as Park’s campaign mentor corresponds to that of Rep. Park Geun-hye in the GNP camp.
Ever since he gave up his bid to run for Seoul mayor early last month, Ahn has denied such any intention to run, but has nevertheless been mentioned as a possible rival to the former GNP chairwoman.
The GNP’s Park, who paid a visit to Daegu to support a GNP candidate in a district chief race, refrained from commenting on Ahn’s move.
Amid the pre-vote drama, the candidates staged a heated debate on Monday during the fourth and last televised forum.
They also stepped up their attacks on each other’s qualifications.
“I have suffered a great deal from the GNP’s false propaganda and personal slanders,” said Park. “It is sad that the ruling political party should show such graceless behavior.”
Na questioned Park’s alleged financial irregularities, accusing the Beautiful Foundation, a welfare organization led by Park, of taking funds from conglomerates that the foundation criticized.
She also brought up allegations that Park forged his family registration and academic history.
Both also clashed on the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement bill, free school meals and the Han River Renaissance project.
Voting in the by-election is to take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 한글 기사>
안철수 "박원순 응원"..투표참여 호소
나경원 "남자가 째째한 선거캠페인 하지 말라"
안철수 서울대 융합과학기술대학원장은 24일 "멀리서나마 (박원순 야권단일 후보를) 계속 응원하고 있었다"며 "열심히 하셔서 꼭 원하는 바를 이루길 바란다"고 밝혔다.
그는 이날 안국동 박 후보의 선거캠프를 전격 방문, 박 후보와 만난 자리에서 이같이 말한 뒤 "계속 성원하고 있었고 오늘은 응원드리러 왔다"고 말했다.
이어 "앞으로 시장이 되면 상식에 기반하고 시민이 누구나 미래를 꿈꾸면서 자부심을 느낄 수 있는 시정을 펼쳐줄 것으로 믿는다"며 "시민들이 그런 판단 기준으로 선택할 것으로 믿는다"고 강조했다.
안 원장은 이날 박 후보에게 응원 메시지를 담은 편지를 전달했다.
그는 편지에서 1955년 미국 흑인 민권운동 촉발의 계기가 된 로자 파크스가 '선 거는 참여의 상징'이라고 한 발언을 전한 뒤 "로자 파크스처럼 우리가 '그날의 의미를 바꿔놓는' 행동에 나서야 한다"며 투표 참여를 촉구했다.
또 "이번 선거는 누가 대립이 아닌 화합을 이끌어낼 수 있는지, 누구의 말이 진 실한지, 또 누가 '과거가 아닌 미래를 말하고 있는지'를 묻는 선거여야 한다"며 "나 도 한편의 권리를 행사할 것인 만큼 여러분도 저와 함께 해주길 간곡히 청한다"고 덧붙였다.
한나라당 나경원 서울시장 후보는 24일 안철수 서울대 융합과학기술대학원장이 범야권 박원순 후보 지원을 선언한 데 대해 "남자가 쩨쩨하게 치졸한 선거캠페인을 하지 말라"고 밝혔다.
나 후보는 이날 오후 시내 프레스센터 캠프 사무실에서 가진 기자회견에서 "안 원장이 등장한 것은 박 후보가 어려워졌음을 자인한 셈"이라며 "우리는 정책ㆍ소통 ㆍ검증 선거에서 모두 승리했다"고 주장했다.
그는 "이번 선거는 나경원과 무소속 박원순 후보의 선거로, 당당한 일대일 대결 을 원한다"며 "더이상 온갖 방어막과 모호함, 다른 세력의 그림자 속에 숨지말고 정 정당당하게 나와달라"고 촉구했다.
또 "여성 후보를 상대로 야권 대선주자들이 총출동, 박 후보를 협찬하고 있다고 해야 하는 것이냐"고 반문하면서 "이번 선거는 처음부터 다윗과 골리앗의 싸움으로, 저는 다윗이지만 당당하고 원칙을 지키며 깨끗한 캠페인을 할 것"이라고 밝혔다.
그는 "선거기간 반MB(이명박 대통령), 반오세훈만 말할 뿐 서울의 미래를 말하 지 않은 사람이 누구인지 유권자는 잘 알 것이며, 시민운동만 하던 분이 준비 안된 상태에서 나서다 보니 온갖 부작용이 발생하고 있다"며 "홀로 설 수 없는 사람에게 서울시정을 맡길 수 없다"고 자신에 대한 지지를 호소했다.
