In June 2018 local elections, Ahn Cheol-soo, the Bareunmirae Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is heading to the polling station with his wife, Professor Kim Mi-kyung, and daughter Ahn Seol-hee (far left). [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] Ahn Seolhee (33), Ph.D., daughter of Ahn Cheolsoo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is returning to Korea.
On the 22nd, after a meeting with supporters held in Jinju, Gyeongnam, Candidate Ahn told reporters that his daughter, Dr. Ahn, would return on the 23rd and that he planned to go to the airport to greet her. It is reported that Candidate Ahn is considering adjusting part of his schedule in Busan, which is planned until the 24th, and briefly going to Incheon Airport by plane to welcome her.
Candidate Ahn said, "Due to the self-quarantine regulations caused by COVID-19, my daughter will not be able to participate in the election campaign immediately," but added, "She will probably stay at home for about the first ten days, but it might be possible for her to meet people or give lectures through Zoom or online." He also added, "My child, my daughter, wants our country to have a better framework for living, and she is trying to do that now."
The People’s Party explained that Dr. Ahn’s return is a choice for the Lunar New Year family gathering and will also help Candidate Ahn’s election strategy, emphasizing that he is a candidate without 'family risks.' Regardless of whether Dr. Ahn actually participates in the election campaign, it is expected that this will highlight the difference from Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate, who have continuously suffered from family-related controversies.
Dr. Ahn is currently working as a researcher after completing her doctoral coursework at the University of California, San Diego. Last month, her research team’s study on the transmissibility of the COVID-19 Omicron variant was featured in The New York Times (NYT), drawing attention.
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