11th President of Korea | |
Predecessor | Ban Ki-moon |
Successor | incumbent |
Born | 26 February 1962 |
Spouse | Kim Mi-kyung |
Political Party | People's Party |
Profession | Businessman |
Ahn Cheol-soo (born 26 February 1962) is a Korean politician and political figure who has served as President of Korea since May of 2017. A founder of the populist-centrist People's Party, Ahn was previously a member of the Democratic Party of Kim Dae-Jung but split off in the late 2000s with Sohn Hak-kyu and others to form a "new politics." Ahn is also the founder of AhnLabs, a software company. His administration has seen a number of populist initiatives, including an aggressive anti-corruption campaign, higher welfare spending, a substantial capital gains tax increase in addition to anti-Chaebol rhetoric, and frequent appeals to Korea's socially conservative rural voter base. He has been criticized for perceived politicization of government institutions such as the judiciary and the state broadcasting service.