A record number of female candidates and progressive activists are set to stand in Dec. 19 presidential election, though most are receiving little attention from voters.

The National Election Commission wrapped up the two-day registration for the 18th election to pick the next head of state on Monday.

Four out of seven candidates are women, including the ruling Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye.

Among the fringe contenders, the most recognized figure is Lee Jung-hee of the minority Unified Progressive Party.

Former party co-chair Lee and her backers caused political uproar earlier this year with allegations that they had rigged the proportional representative selection for the April general elections. She also faced controversy over her allegedly pro-North Korean ideology.

Lee was expected to be challenged by Sim Sang-jeung, another female member of the former UPP leadership who defected amid the feud, but Sim renounced her candidacy to ally with the main opposition Democratic United Party.

“I hope that my resignation will boost Moon Jae-in, who effectively became the sole candidate of the opposition bloc,” the lawmaker said, only hours before the official candidate registration deadline.

Representing the labor vote were two other female candidates ― Kim Soon-ja, a former street sweeper who had challenged for a proportional representative ticket with a progressive party, and Kim So-yeon, a branch head of the Korea Metal Workers’ Union.

Civic activist Kang Ji-won and former entrepreneur Park Jong-seon listed themselves as the only two male candidates among the minor players.

Though some of the lesser-known contestants are expected to drop out of the race later, whether through candidacy merger or simple renunciation, the number and proportion of female presidential aspirants is unprecedented.

The first-ever female presidential candidate in Korea was Hong Sook-ja of the left-inclined Social Democratic Party in the 1987 election, though she won only a minimal slice of the vote.

“The total number of female candidates will not much affect Park in the actual race,” said an official of the ruling party’s election committee.

“When it comes to the crucial competition against Moon, Park’s female leadership will take effect in winning the voters’ hearts.”

By Bae Hyun-jung
(tellme@heraldcorp.com)