14 candidates register for March presidential election

The Democratic Party of Korea's Gwangju election camp member Nam Jin-hee, left, and KAIST professor Cha Ji-ho register the candidacy of the party's presidential contender Lee Jae-myung to an official of the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, for the March 9 presidential election, Feb. 13. Joint Press Corps.

A total of 14 candidates will run in the March 9 presidential election, the state election commission said Monday as it concluded the two-day candidate registration.

The National Election Commission said 11 people registered their names Sunday and three more joined the race Monday.

On Sunday, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party registered their candidacies.

Under the relevant laws, a candidate number is awarded according to the size of parliamentary seats held by a contender's party. Lee of the DP, which holds the most seats in parliament, will be given No. 1 as his candidate number, followed by Yoon, Sim and Ahn.

Presidential candidates from a party with no parliamentary seat will be given a candidate number in the alphabetical order of the party's name.

With the finalization of candidate registration, the official 22-day campaign period is set to kick off Tuesday.

Candidates will be allowed to hold street campaigns, put up election posters, send campaign materials to voters, and release TV and radio commercials through one day before the election. (Yonhap)