More than 800 people filed to become the ruling Saenuri Party candidates for 246 seats up for grabs in the general elections in April, party officials said Wednesday.

A total of 829 candidates applied to represent the Saenuri Party in 246 constituencies that will be chosen by direct votes, the party officials said.

The remaining 54 slots of the 300-member parliament will be filled with candidates to be picked in proportion to indirect votes to be cast for each party.

The party said it plans to recruit more candidates when the National Assembly redraws the electoral constituency map next week.

The rival parties are required to redraw electoral districts as the Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that the electoral map was unconstitutional, citing unequal representation.

The current electoral map became invalid by the end of last year.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said that a total of 371 candidates have applied to become its candidates. (Yonhap)