Does Ahn`s visit to nat`l cemetery mean he will run for pres.?

Former IT guru-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo, who is highly expected to run in the December presidential election, visited the May 18th National Democracy Cemetery in Gwangju to pay his respects to fallen pro-democracy activists Friday.

His surprise trip caused political pundits to make a flurry of analyses, with one saying, “Ahn has consolidated his decision to run for president.”

Politicians from the ruling and opposition parties who have declared their candidacies have usually visited the Seoul National Cemetery and the May 18th National Democracy Cemetery on the day or one day after announcing their presidential bids. Considering such a practice, Ahn’s visit can also be construed as an act by someone to express his intent to run for president.

Lee Cheol-hee, director of Dumun Political Strategy Institute, said, “Ahn’s visit to the Gwangju cemetery after meeting with the Seoul mayor on the previous day is a preparatory effort or part of the process ahead of the declaration of his presidential bid.”

Ahn has also reportedly begun to draft a speech to announce his position on his candidacy.

He visited the ceremony in Gwangju accompanied by five aides, including spokesman Yoo Min-yeong, at 10:40 a.m. Friday without informing the ceremony authorities of his visit in advance.

In the guestbook, Ahn wrote “Rest in peace,” before touring the portrait hall. He then offered flowers at the memorial tower, paid his respects, and looked at exhibits at the memorial hall.

Many analysts say Ahn’s visit to the Gwangju cemetery might be related to the rising approval rating of Moon Jae-in, who is a leading presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic United Party. Ahn needed an event to reverse the trend to keep in check Moon, who has seen his approval rating escalate due to the "bandwagon effect," in which voters tend to cast their ballots to support the leading contender en masse in the final phase of a primary.

In an opinion poll based on a hypothetical multi-way presidential race conducted Wednesday and Thursday of 1,500 adults by the pollster Real Meter (confidence rate of 95 percent and margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points), Ahn garnered an approval rating of 25.9 percent, up 2.6 percentage points from the previous day, and was leading Moon (18.9 percent), who saw his approval rating drop by 1.4 percentage points within the range of margin of error.

leon@donga.com