S.Korea begins candidate registration for presidential election

Seoul April 15 (IANS) South Korean authorities on Saturday began the official registration of candidates contesting the upcoming presidential election.

After the two-day registration the official campaign period for the May 9 election will begin on Monday according to the National Election Commission (NEC).

A total of 26 potential candidates had registered with the NEC after preliminary registrations began on March 10 when former President Park Geun-hye was forced out of office by a Constitutional Court ruling prompting the rare presidential by-election Yonhap News Agency reported.

As of Friday 21 remained on the list after the rest withdrew their preliminary mostly self-imposed candidacies the NEC said.

Currently only two presidential hopefuls are seen able to garner support: Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and Ahn Cheol-soo of the centre-left People s Party.

Both enjoyed an approval rating of over 30 per cent each in polls on the upcoming election.

--IANS
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