The four leading South Korean presidential candidates — (from L) Lee Jae-myung, Sim Sang-jeung, Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoon Suk-yeol — pose for the camera ahead of a live TV debate in Seoul on Feb. 11, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party reported the most wealth among South Korean presidential candidates, the National Election Commission (NEC) said Monday.
Ahn, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, reported his personal assets to be worth 197.99 billion won (US$165 million), the biggest amount among the 11 presidential candidates who finished candidacy registration with the NEC on Sunday.
Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol declared the second most wealth of 7.75 billion won, while ruling Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung reported his personal assets at 3.22 billion won, the NEC said.
Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party reported the smallest amount among candidates for major political parties at 1.41 billion won.
Lee’s reported assets included an apartment valued at 1.33 billion won, bank deposits worth 1.29 billion won, a condo and a car.
In Yoon’s case, his wife, Kim Keon-hee, accounted for most of his declared assets. He reported his personal assets at 846 million won and Kim’s assets at about 6.9 billion won, most of which are bank deposits.
Sim reported her husband’s apartment valued at about 500 million won and her mother’s apartment worth 1.01 billion won.
For Ahn, the lion’s share of his wealth is 1.86 million shares in Ahn Lab, the nation’s largest antivirus software company that he founded, worth about 184 billion won.
Ahn also included a Seoul apartment, two minivans and 11.5 billion won in bank deposits and other financial assets among his personal wealth.
Among minor presidential candidates, meanwhile, Kim Dong-yeon of the New Wave Party reported his assets to be worth about 4.1 billion won and Huh Kyung-young of the National Revolutionary Party declared he is worth 26.4 billion won.
(Yonhap)
