A crowded competition is shaping up within the ruling Democratic Party to grab its ticket to run in the June Seoul mayoral election.

Jeon Hyun-heui, a two-term lawmaker of the party, became the fifth member to join the race on Sunday, describing herself as one of the most "notable" candidates on the basis of her legislative career in the capital.

Incumbent Mayor Park Won-soon, a member of the party, has already indicated he will run for a third term. Reps. Park Young-sun, Min Byung-doo and Woo Sang-ho have also been preparing to join the crowded in-house race.

Ahead of the June 13 local elections, political attention shifts towards who will become the next mayor of the capital city, a post seen as a springboard to the presidency or other high-level political positions.

On Tuesday, Park, who has run the city since 2011, renewed his will to run in the race.

"Seoul's next agenda is people," he said during a meeting with the foreign press here. "For the last six years, I have striven to make people the owner of the city, and now, Seoul will evolve into one where all citizens live well together as a community."

Rep. Park Young-sun has recently met with small merchants and other citizens as part of her unofficial campaign to boost her chances of an electoral win.

Rep. Min declared his desire to run in the election during a forum and a subsequent meeting with reporters on Jan. 25. There, he vowed to become a "locomotive of innovation" if elected to lead the city of nearly 10 million people.

Woo, a former floor leader of the party, was the first to declare his bid for the election. Last month, he vowed to incorporate President Moon Jae-in's policies into the management of city affairs.

Former lawmaker Chung Bong-ju is mentioned as a possible contender in the in-house competition, while former Rep. Jung Chung-rai recently announced he would not run in the race. (Yonhap)