Will Ahn Cheol-soo be able to find a third way for his envisaged party? The ultimate answer to this question will determine not only his fate as a politician with presidential ambitions but also whether Korean politics can overcome the bipolarization caused by the domination of a conservative party largely based in the southeast and a liberal party relying on support from the southwestern provinces.

Ahn, who broke away from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy early this month, is moving to launch his own party before early February. The schedule has been set to enable the party to participate in the April general election, which will effectively be the first test of his political leadership.

Ahn said that he would seek to change the government through “new politics” that can improve people’s livelihoods. He made clear that he would not seek any alliance with the NPAD again.

It would be good -- for both Ahn and Korean politics as a whole -- if the new party can draw people who are different from traditional politicians and receive enough popular support to grow as a third major party.

Having a sizable middle-of-the-road party rejecting both extreme conservatism and liberalism and regional rivalry between the southeastern and southwestern regions will definitely help address many of the problems caused by bipartisanship.

But to be fair, prospects for the party are not as bright as suggested by Ahn. Skepticism starts with his track record: Most of all, he has failed to demonstrate fortitude and perseverance even in the short period of time that he has been in politics.

He declared his first plan to launch a party early last year, about six months before the local elections. But he abruptly gave up on the plan and joined what became the NPAD, swallowing his words that he would not seek an alliance with the opposition party.

Before that, he gave up on candidature twice -- one for the president and the other the Seoul mayor’s seat -- in the name of unifying opposition tickets. Ahn should demonstrate that things will be different this time.

Another concern is the possibility that Ahn will rely on support from the southwestern provinces, where voters’ have antipathy toward not only the ruling party but also the mainstream faction in the NPAD. He has already said that he is open to allying with NPAD breakaways whose support bases are in the region. That could make Ahn’s party another southwest-based party, which would only benefit the ruling Saenuri Party.

The worst case would be for Ahn, preoccupied with increasing the number of lawmakers under his wing, to accept people who fail to get nomination from the ruling and opposition parties. The long-term success of his political venture will depend on whether he can resist the temptation of such short-term gains and stick to pursuing a third way.