Ahn Cheol-soo

Ahn Cheol-soo is a South Korean <a href="/facts/Politician/JGSyT9DD">politician</a>, <a href="/facts/Medical_doctor/qJ3woFvG">medical doctor</a>, <a href="/facts/Businessperson/Eys9TX5M">businessperson</a>, and <a href="/facts/Software_entrepreneurship/9jsULXLS">software entrepreneur</a>. He is a member of the <a href="/facts/National_Assembly_(South_Korea)/B8rkX7YC">National Assembly</a> as part of the conservative <a href="/facts/People_Power_Party_(South_Korea)/4QkcnY7f">People Power Party</a>. Prior to his career in politics, Ahn founded AhnLab, Inc., an <a href="/facts/Antivirus_software/GGMqsfkJ">antivirus software</a> company, in 1995. He was chairman of the board and <a href="/facts/Chief_Learning_Officer/04hbcJ0T">Chief Learning Officer</a> of AhnLab until September 2012, and remains the company's largest stakeholder. Prior to entering politics, Ahn served as dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at <a href="/facts/Seoul_National_University/Afc1Sjhn">Seoul National University</a> until September 2012. Ahn was considered a <a href="/facts/Left-wing/JUcz1kvS">left-wing</a> politician when he entered politics in 2012, then considered a <a href="/facts/Centrist/jybYq4vR">centrist</a> politician by his 2017 presidential bid, and is now considered a <a href="/facts/Right-wing/CVoubHMm">right-wing</a> politician.
Ahn made his first official entry into politics as an <a href="/facts/Independent_candidate/Pzzvg0CC">independent candidate</a> in the <a href="/facts/2012_South_Korean_presidential_election/PXGFbEPN">2012 South Korean presidential election</a>, polling strongly before dropping out and endorsing the ultimately unsuccessful campaign of <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(South_Korea,_2011)/psdcbUVo">Democratic Party</a> candidate <a href="/facts/Moon_Jae-in/0xbdKLfy">Moon Jae-in</a>. In the <a href="/facts/2017_South_Korean_presidential_election/BBpJqSdC">2017 South Korean presidential election</a>, Ahn ran as a <a href="/facts/Third_party_(politics)/dBfTVn4s">third party</a> candidate, losing to Moon Jae-in and winning 21.4% of the popular vote. In the <a href="/facts/2022_South_Korean_presidential_election/2saKJLAn">2022 South Korean presidential election</a>, Ahn ran again as a third party candidate before dropping out of the race and endorsing People Power Party candidate <a href="/facts/Yoon_Suk_Yeol/R2fNKjuP">Yoon Suk Yeol</a>, who went on to win the election. Ahn also ran in the <a href="/facts/2018_South_Korean_local_elections/anN7cdIH">2018</a> and <a href="/facts/2021_South_Korean_by-elections/yznvKHIC">2021</a> elections for <a href="/facts/Mayor_of_Seoul/Sz8Kw4zT">mayor of Seoul</a>.
In 2014, Ahn became one of the co-founders and co-leaders of the <a href="/facts/New_Politics_Alliance_for_Democracy/m20Qtn2v">New Politics Alliance for Democracy</a>, now known as the <a href="/facts/Democratic_Party_(South_Korea,_2015)/m20Qtn2v">Democratic Party of Korea</a>, before stepping down from party leadership after a few months and then defecting from the party in 2015. In 2016, he was one of the co-founders of the centrist <a href="/facts/People_Party_(South_Korea,_2016)/IYfpynBa">People Party</a> and often served as party leader until the People Party and the <a href="/facts/Bareun_Party/kUL3pRjj">Bareun Party</a> merged to become the <a href="/facts/Bareunmirae_Party/uTFrPk7J">Bareunmirae Party</a> in February 2018. In 2020, Ahn split from the Bareunmirae Party and created a new party, also called the <a href="/facts/People_Party_(South_Korea,_2020)/E4hBvh6D">People Party</a>, which Ahn led until the People Party and the People Power Party merged in April 2022. Since April 2022, he has been a member of the <a href="/facts/Conservatism_in_South_Korea/HAQRtLkT">conservative</a> People Power Party.

Ahn Cheol-soo open-in-new

Ahn Cheol-soo