Representative Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party officially declared his candidacy for the 21st presidential election on the 8th. This is the first declaration of candidacy among major contenders from the People Power Party and marks his fourth attempt at the presidency.
Representative Ahn withdrew during the 18th presidential election in 2012, helping then-candidate Moon Jae-in with his campaign. In the 19th presidential election, he ran as a candidate for the People's Party, receiving 21.41% of the vote and finishing in third place. During the 20th presidential election, he also ran as a People's Party candidate, but merged with then-candidate Yoon Seok-youl.
On the morning of that day, Representative Ahn said in front of the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin in Gwanghwamun Square, "It is time for a 'change of era' to restore the economy and everyday life and to eradicate the wrong past," adding, "Please choose me, Ahn Cheol-soo, the only candidate who can surpass Lee Jae-myung and win."
He introduced himself as "the cleanest candidate, more than anyone else, and the right person to resolve the crisis in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry and healthcare."
Representative Ahn apologized for his past of helping former President Yoon in the merger. He said, "In 2022, one side was a suspect of a crime, and the other side was a candidate lacking political experience, so I judged it would be better to yield to the inexperienced person. I really did not know there would be martial law three years later."
He continued, "We do not have the luxury to send the past away with regret," and said, "Now we must move beyond internal party conflicts to party unity, beyond national conflicts to national integration, and beyond national chaos to national development toward a 'promised future.'"
Regarding the proposed constitutional amendment that is recently being discussed in political circles, he stated, "I will push for a major constitutional amendment for national integration, reducing presidential powers and National Assembly privileges, and advocating for a four-year presidential system and large electoral districts." He raised his voice regarding Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party's remark that "ending the insurrection comes first" concerning the timing of the amendment, asking, "Is it currently a state of insurrection?"
However, he noted, "It is physically difficult to hold a national referendum on constitutional amendment simultaneously with the presidential election," adding, "We should plan to hold a national referendum during next year's local elections, and we must agree on various related matters over the next year."
He emphasized, "If we do not make Korea a leading AI powerhouse, there will be no future for Korea," and said, "Like President Park Chung-hee's five-year economic development plan, I will implement a new five-year economic development plan involving hundreds of trillions of won in national investment and train one million AI professionals."
He also proposed solving the low birth rate issue through five major reforms in pensions, education, labor, medical care, and public services while securing growth momentum through innovation in diplomacy, security, and economics.
He pointed out that Korea's export power, which is vital for the country's economy, is in crisis, stating, "The Trump administration does not even consider alliances for its own interests," and promised to coordinate issues such as diplomacy, defense, and trade through a summit with President Donald Trump.
At the declaration event, Representative Yoon Sang-hyun, a five-term member from the same party in the metropolitan area, came to offer his congratulations. About 100 supporters gathered, chanting "Ahn Cheol-soo."