IT tycoon-turned into potential next year presidential contender, Ahn Cheol-soo announced his intention to donate half his stocks in AhnLab, the country’s biggest antivirus software film he founded 1995 to increase safety of computer. He is known to own or 37.1 percent of AhnLab 269 million dollar share. “I’d like to put a small resolution that I have long planned into practice,” he said in an email that he sent to employees of the IT-firm, “I plan to use about half of my stocks in AhnLab for society.”
Lawmaker Kang Yong-seok and ruling party lawmakers have strongly criticized a sudden surge in AhnLab’s stock price which nearly tripled after the rumors that he would run for Seoul mayor on September. He was criticized for receiving 10.4 billion wons in dividends form AhnLab since 2004, even though he resigned as CEO in March 2005.
He is currently serving as chairman of the company’s board of directors and is the dean of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology. Shortly after expressing his interests in running in the October 26 by-election, he became a political sensation.
Polls show that he would beat any other presidential candidates. However, he urged people not to link his donation to any political ambitions.
“There is no other hidden motive,” he said in the email. “It is nothing more or less than fulfilling what I decided to do a long time
ago.”
The IT guru noted the he wants the money to help give dreams and hope to underprivileged children. “I will humbly accept the opinion of
many people on how to use it in the most meaningful way, but I hope the money will be spent for the education of children from low income
families,” he said. Ahn added that he made the decision because he believes that corporations have social responsibilities. Due to his
clean reputation, Ahn is widely popular in voters between the ages 20 through 40.
(아주경제 송지영 기자)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com