The May 9 presidential election is just a month away, and the arena is full of independent candidates vying against the big names in the race to become the 19th president of South Korea. They include a shaman from sacred mountain Gyeryongsan, a former spy agency chief and “Dr. Corn,” who is credited with creating a new hybrid of the vegetable.

According to the National Election Commission, the number of preliminary candidates registered to run for the election stood at 21 as of Sunday. To register, they were required to pay a mandatory deposit of 60 million won ($52,700). If they want to remain in the race, they must submit 240 million won more during the official candidacy registration period of April 15-16.


Of the 21, only nine have a political background. The remaining 12 appear to have no connection to either politics or public office, at least according to data they submitted.

The oldest is 76-year-old Kwon Jeong-soo, a professional fortuneteller.

Kwon heads local organization Morality Promotion Committee. His educational background was left blank on the official website of the election commission.

Nam Jae-joon, a former National Intelligence Service chief, declared his presidential bid on March 17 at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul.

“The utmost challenge surrounding South Korea is national security issues rather than its economy,” said Nam.

An agricultural scientist dubbed “Dr. Corn” also put himself into consideration for the presidency.

Kim Soon-kwon, known for having created a new African hybrid of corn, currently works as a chair professor at Handong Global University in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.

Lee Jae-oh, formerly a five-term lawmaker and co-chair of the minor conservative Ever-Green Korea Party, has served the longest term in the National Assembly among all listed president hopefuls.

An outspoken critic of former President Park Geun-hye, Lee failed in his sixth bid to secure a seat in the Assembly last year, but declared a presidential bid to “reshape the government.”

Former lawmaker Kim Sun-Dong of the disbanded Democratic Labor Party set off a tear-gas grenade in the National Assembly in 2011 as part of an attempt to stop the passage of a free trade agreement with the United States.

Other independents registered to join the race include the head of a medical equipment company and an organizer at a local church.

Some preliminary candidates have listed their criminal records as well, along with educational backgrounds, mandatory in order to register for candidacy.

A local furniture company’s former head Kim Hwang-saeng has stood trial over charges including burglary, according to records revealed on the website.

Kim, now the head of a local engineering firm, was put on probation for three years in 2013 under charges of false accusation and theft, but is now eligible to run for election as the probation ended in 2016.

Besides Kim, Future Korean Peninsula Union’s Kim Jung-sun also received probated sentences for fraud in 2002 and 2003 consecutively, while former lawmaker Chang Song-min paid a fine of 1.5 million won in 2008 for libel.

Rho Nam-soo, student body president of a local graduate school, was nabbed by police for driving under the influence in 2003.

Front-runner Moon Jae-in also has two blemishes on his criminal record: an eight-month probated sentence for leading protests against strongman Park Chung-hee in 1975 and a fine in 2004 for not showing up for testimony at the National Assembly while serving as chief presidential secretary.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)