On December 13, former leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy Ahn Cheol-soo (53) announced, "I am leaving the New Politics Alliance for Democracy today," making his parting with the party official. Now that Ahn has publicly announced plans to form a separate political group, the main opposition party is headed toward a path of division. The twentieth general election next April will be one between one ruling party and multiple opposition parties, and challenges lie ahead in the political landscape of the opposition.

This day, Ahn held a press conference at the National Assembly and officially announced his departure from the New Politics Alliance for Democracy saying, "I desperately appealed on a number of occasions that we would all die if we continued as we had done in the past and that we needed to make a bold decision, but there was no answer." Ahn parted a year and nine months after he joined the New Politics Alliance for Democracy when he united with the Democratic Party in March 2014.

Ahn said that he was leaving the party because innovation was impossible within the main opposition party. On December 6, he gave party leader Moon Jae-in an ultimatum proposing an "innovative party convention," but it was not accepted. Early this morning, Moon had visited Ahn's residence in Sanggye-dong, Seoul to discourage him from leaving the party. He waited forty minutes but had to return only after a handshake with Ahn.

Former leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy Ahn Cheol-soo holds a press conference on December 13 and leaves the venue at the National Assembly after declaring his departure from the party. | Gang Yun-jung

During the press conference, Ahn said, "The current opposition party cannot provide the people with an alternative. It cannot change the world or give the people hope of a new government. Yet the party refuses bigger innovation and is busy guarding its vested interests."

Now that Ahn has left the party just four months ahead of the parliamentary elections, a change in the opposition seems inevitable. Ahn claimed he would "create a political group that can put a new government in office," so it is likely that his party will compete with the New Politics Alliance for Democracy. Lawmaker Moon Byeong-ho said that he would leave the party on December 14 at the earliest and other non-mainstream lawmakers and lawmakers from the Honam region where a strong "anti-Moon Jae-in" sentiment exists are expected to join Ahn in leaving the party. Eyes are also on whether Ahn will unite with the "National Congress (tentative name)" led by the independent lawmaker Chun Jung-bae.

However, the future of Ahn Cheol-soo's politics is uncertain. He himself said, "I am about to journey through the most difficult path before a dark cliff where I cannot even see a foot ahead of me."

"No matter how high the waves roll and how strong the wind blows, the voyage of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy to reach victory in the general elections will not stop," Moon Jae-in posted on his social network services account revealing his determination to take on the challenge head-on. In a private meeting of the party's supreme council chaired by Moon, the politicians expressed their regrets for Ahn's departure and agreed to remain firm in pushing ahead with party reforms, according to spokesperson Kim Sung-soo.

Many experts predict that the Saenuri Party will enjoy an absolute advantage in the April 13 general elections due to the conflicts within the opposition party. If the opposition is defeated, Ahn will likely be held responsible for the division of the opposition. The results of the general elections are likely to influence the competition and results of the 2017 presidential election.