Will he or won't he In the weeks leading up to the announcement, the race has largely been cast as a three-way competition between the ruling Saenuri Party's Park Geun-hye, the main opposition Democratic United Party's Moon Jae-in and Ahn.
To overcome Park in December and avoid splitting the liberal vote, a merger between Ahn and Moon seems inevitable.
However, it is not yet clear whether Ahn will run as an independent or join forces with the opposition party.
Experts say that whether Ahn decides to join forces with Moon, and if so how, is likely to be shaped by polls taken after the Chuseok fall harvest holiday,.. which starts on September 29th.
Kim Yeon-ji, Arirang News.

Reporter : yjkim@arirang.co.kr