PPP candidate Ahn Cheol-soo touts science background, alumni ties to Trump and Musk

People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20. [JUN MIN-KYU] “I am an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, like U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk,” People Power Party (PPP) presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo said as he sat down recently for an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul. "I'll use that alumni connection as a bridge to negotiate tariffs with Trump.” "Throughout the world, whenever a country overcame a crisis and achieved growth, a science-educated leader emerged,” the now four-time presidential candidate added. "If elected, I will revive the economy through the war for global artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy and appoint many businesspeople to key Cabinet positions.” Related ArticlePPP primary narrows to four: Ahn Cheol-soo, Han Dong-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo and Kim Moon-sooCandidates neck and neck as PPP's final four vie for victory in primary raceCandidates' tech savvy questioned over campaign pledges to invest big in AI Regarding Democratic Party (DP) contender Lee Jae-myung, Ahn said Lee "isn't what he appears to be.” He warned that Lee's "250,000 won ($175) universal payment" policy would "destroy the Korean economy.” “I’m a presidential candidate with expertise built from experience as a university professor, doctor, venture entrepreneur and politician,” Ahn said. “I will win in the presidential election by expanding to the political center.” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. People Power Party (PPP) presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, left, and fellow PPP primary candidate Kim Moon-soo pose for a photo before a primary debate held at the ASSA Art Hall in Gangseo District, western Seoul on April 19. [NEWS1] This is your fourth presidential bid. Why Ahn Cheol-soo again? We are in a national crisis. The domestic economy is worsening, and internationally, Trump is launching a tariff war. The science and technology race, including that concerning AI, is intensifying. To overcome this, a president with expertise is necessary. I’m running with a sense of urgency. No more talks of unifying candidates or stepping aside? In the last election, I was a third-party candidate with no realistic chance of winning. That’s no longer the case. Why does the country need a science-oriented president? The United States and China are in a tech supremacy war. We need technology for prosperity and to ensure national security. Taiwan receives security guarantees from the United States because of TSMC. In times of crisis and growth, nations have had science-trained leaders. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who turned Germany into Europe's richest country, holds a doctorate in physics. Chinese President Xi Jinping majored in chemistry. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20. [JUN MIN-KYU] Isn’t it enough to place experts in the Cabinet? With the expansion of scientific fields, it's no longer enough to simply rely on experts. The president must understand these matters better than anyone. Your key pledge is to make Korea a top-three AI power. What’s your vision? Just as President Park Chung Hee built the Gyeongbu Expressway to drive economic growth, I’ll lay an “AI expressway.” We’ll grow AI hardware by offering incentives to companies and also develop software and content, including large language models (LLMs). I’ll work to nurture one million science talents. Lee also unveiled AI pledges. What’s the difference? It’s the difference between someone who knows the subject and someone who doesn’t. Lee said he’d develop a “Korean ChatGPT” and provide it for free. That implies the government would lead AI development, which is nonsense. Innovation must be led by the private sector. In 2020, he promised a delivery app in Gyeonggi. What impact did it have? Tesla CEO Elon Musk listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 11. [REUTERS/YONHAP] You said you would appoint business leaders to the Cabinet. Could you explain this? Korea has the lowest number of businesspeople in politics. Business is about achieving maximum results with limited resources. That principle applies broadly to government. I will appoint people from the business world, be it as prime minister or as individual ministers. You emphasize being an alumnus of the same university as Trump and Musk. Why? We are all alumni of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In the United States, people take alumni ties seriously. I met Trump during his first term, and when I said we were both Wharton alumni, he laughed and said, “All Wharton grads are geniuses.” I’m confident about tariff negotiations. The primary will be tough. Some say you lack internal party support and conservative backing. What is your opinion? This primary is contradictory. The eight candidates are divided into pro- and anti-impeachment camps. Candidates like Kim Moon-soo, Hong Joon-pyo and Na Kyung-won, who opposed impeachment, shouldn’t be running. Only 30 percent of the public opposed impeachment. If our party relies only on the anti-impeachment faction, it will hand the presidency to Lee Jae-myung. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20. [JUN MIN-KYU] How will you overcome that? I’ll emphasize that I’m a candidate with centrist appeal who can win more than 50 percent in the final round. I’m the PPP candidate with the highest likelihood of defeating Lee. No one can match my integrity, and I’ve worked across various professional fields. Before entering politics, I even donated half my wealth — about 150 billion won in AhnLab stock. What's your assessment of Lee? He’s two-faced. During the last election, he pledged to give up his parliamentary privilege from arrest, but in 2023, he publicly asked lawmakers to reject a motion to detain him. Lee will wreck the economy. He keeps talking about “growth,” but it’s just populist redistribution. Giving 250,000 won equally to the rich and poor doesn’t create growth. You called on former President Yoon Suk Yeol to leave the party. Why? The DP wants nothing more than a Lee vs. Yoon matchup. That’s a guaranteed loss for us. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo casts his ballot during the impeachment motion against former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 7, 2024. [JUN MIN-KYU] Didn’t your joint government with Yoon ultimately fail? Yoon broke his promise for a joint government. I had hoped to contribute in areas like science and education. I recommended a candidate for education minister early in the administration, but it was rejected. Still, I don’t regret unifying candidacies during the last election. However, I accepted responsibility for the martial law crisis and issued a public apology. What are your thoughts on acting President Han Duck-soo possibly running for office? He shouldn’t run. Simply handling the tariff negotiations with the United States is already too much. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo walks into the main venue of the April 19th National Cemetery in Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, on April 19. [YONHAP] Why did you name constitutional reform as your first pledge? We need to curtail the powers of both the imperial presidency and an overpowered legislature. The martial law was wrong, but so was the opposition party paralyzing the government by impeaching 29 officials, including ministers. That’s not compatible with the separation of powers. Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.BY KIM GYU-TAE [[email protected]]

PPP candidate Ahn Cheol-soo touts science background, alumni ties to Trump and Musk Published: 27 Apr. 2025, 09:00 People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20. [JUN MIN-KYU] “I am an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, like U.

S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk,” People Power Party (PPP) presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo said as he sat down recently for an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul. "I'll use that alumni connection as a bridge to negotiate tariffs with Trump.

” "Throughout the world, whenever a country overcame a crisis and achieved growth, a science-educated leader emerged,” the now four-time presidential candidate added. "If elected, I will revive the economy through the war for global artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy and appoint many businesspeople to key Cabinet positions.” Related Article PPP primary narrows to four: Ahn Cheol-soo, Han Dong-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo and Kim Moon-soo Candidates neck and neck as PPP's final four vie for victory in primary race Candidates' tech savvy questioned over campaign pledges to invest big in AI Regarding Democratic Party (DP) contender Lee Jae-myung, Ahn said Lee "isn't what he appears to be.

” He warned that Lee's "250,000 won ($175) universal payment" policy would "destroy the Korean economy.” “I’m a presidential candidate with expertise built from experience as a university professor, doctor, venture entrepreneur and politician,” Ahn said. “I will win in the presidential election by expanding to the political center.

” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. People Power Party (PPP) presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, left, and fellow PPP primary candidate Kim Moon-soo pose for a photo before a primary debate held at the ASSA Art Hall in Gangseo District, western Seoul on April 19. [NEWS1] This is your fourth presidential bid.

Why Ahn Cheol-soo again? We are in a national crisis. The domestic economy is worsening, and internationally, Trump is launching a tariff war. The science and technology race, including that concerning AI, is intensifying.

To overcome this, a president with expertise is necessary. I’m running with a sense of urgency. No more talks of unifying candidates or stepping aside? In the last election, I was a third-party candidate with no realistic chance of winning.

That’s no longer the case. Why does the country need a science-oriented president? The United States and China are in a tech supremacy war. We need technology for prosperity and to ensure national security.

Taiwan receives security guarantees from the United States because of TSMC. In times of crisis and growth, nations have had science-trained leaders. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who turned Germany into Europe's richest country, holds a doctorate in physics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping majored in chemistry. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20. [JUN MIN-KYU] Isn’t it enough to place experts in the Cabinet? With the expansion of scientific fields, it's no longer enough to simply rely on experts.

The president must understand these matters better than anyone. Your key pledge is to make Korea a top-three AI power. What’s your vision? Just as President Park Chung Hee built the Gyeongbu Expressway to drive economic growth, I’ll lay an “AI expressway.

” We’ll grow AI hardware by offering incentives to companies and also develop software and content, including large language models (LLMs). I’ll work to nurture one million science talents. Lee also unveiled AI pledges.

What’s the difference? It’s the difference between someone who knows the subject and someone who doesn’t. Lee said he’d develop a “Korean ChatGPT” and provide it for free. That implies the government would lead AI development, which is nonsense.

Innovation must be led by the private sector. In 2020, he promised a delivery app in Gyeonggi. What impact did it have? Tesla CEO Elon Musk listens to U.

S. President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 11.

[REUTERS/YONHAP] You said you would appoint business leaders to the Cabinet. Could you explain this? Korea has the lowest number of businesspeople in politics. Business is about achieving maximum results with limited resources.

That principle applies broadly to government. I will appoint people from the business world, be it as prime minister or as individual ministers. You emphasize being an alumnus of the same university as Trump and Musk.

Why? We are all alumni of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In the United States, people take alumni ties seriously. I met Trump during his first term, and when I said we were both Wharton alumni, he laughed and said, “All Wharton grads are geniuses.

” I’m confident about tariff negotiations. The primary will be tough. Some say you lack internal party support and conservative backing.

What is your opinion? This primary is contradictory. The eight candidates are divided into pro- and anti-impeachment camps. Candidates like Kim Moon-soo, Hong Joon-pyo and Na Kyung-won, who opposed impeachment, shouldn’t be running.

Only 30 percent of the public opposed impeachment. If our party relies only on the anti-impeachment faction, it will hand the presidency to Lee Jae-myung. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at his campaign office in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 20.

[JUN MIN-KYU] How will you overcome that? I’ll emphasize that I’m a candidate with centrist appeal who can win more than 50 percent in the final round. I’m the PPP candidate with the highest likelihood of defeating Lee. No one can match my integrity, and I’ve worked across various professional fields.

Before entering politics, I even donated half my wealth — about 150 billion won in AhnLab stock. What's your assessment of Lee? He’s two-faced. During the last election, he pledged to give up his parliamentary privilege from arrest, but in 2023, he publicly asked lawmakers to reject a motion to detain him.

Lee will wreck the economy. He keeps talking about “growth,” but it’s just populist redistribution. Giving 250,000 won equally to the rich and poor doesn’t create growth.

You called on former President Yoon Suk Yeol to leave the party. Why? The DP wants nothing more than a Lee vs. Yoon matchup.

That’s a guaranteed loss for us. People Power Party presidential primary candidate Ahn Cheol-soo casts his ballot during the impeachment motion against former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 7, 2024.

[JUN MIN-KYU] Didn’t your joint government with Yoon ultimately fail? Yoon broke his promise for a joint government. I had hoped to contribute in areas like science and education. I recommended a candidate for education minister early in the administration, but it was rejected.

Still, I don’t regret unifying candidacies during the last election. However, I accepted responsibility for the martial law crisis and issued a public apology. What are your thoughts on acting President Han Duck-soo possibly running for office? He shouldn’t run.

Simply handling the tariff negotiations with the United States is already too much. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo walks into the main venue of the April 19th National Cemetery in Gangbuk District, northern Seoul, on April 19. [YONHAP] Why did you name constitutional reform as your first pledge? We need to curtail the powers of both the imperial presidency and an overpowered legislature.

The martial law was wrong, but so was the opposition party paralyzing the government by impeaching 29 officials, including ministers. That’s not compatible with the separation of powers. Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

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