A number of candidates for next month's parliamentary elections are moving to mobilize well-known celebrities to drum up support as they race to win in the April 13 polls.

The role of such stars who can generate positive publicity is a welcome addition to any candidate as public disenchantment toward politics is growing amid party infighting and bickering among key figures.

Actor Song Il-kook, the son of former actress and ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker Kim Eul-dong, is expected to lend support to his mother's campaign, her campaign office said. 

Retired actress Shim Eun-ha is also slated to show up at a campaign office of her husband Ji Sang-wuk, a Saenuri Party legislator who is seeking re-election in Seoul's Junggu district, according to the office.

Lee Jun-seok, a 31-year-old entrepreneur from the Saenuri Party, also recently invited singer Jang Hye-jin and entertainer Park Eun-ji to his campaign office.

Lee is competing against heavyweight Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the splinter People's Party, in an electoral district of Nowon in northern Seoul.

Others like Gi Dong-min of the main opposition Minjoo Party drew attention by inviting several well-known stars when he opened his election office.

Experts are, however, divided over the high-profile figures endorsing candidates during the 13-day campaigning period that is set to run through midnight on April 12.

"Mobilizing high-profile figures has a favorable side of drawing public attention," said Yoon Hee-woong, a political expert, noting that voters have the tendency of favoring candidates based on their feelings for the celebrities.

Yang Seung-ham, a politics professor at Yonsei University, on the other hand, warned about the pitfalls of celebrities recklessly endorsing candidates.

"Candidates should be judged based on their policies," Yang said, noting that a policy-focused race should be carried out. 

The election will pick 300 lawmakers for four-year terms, with 253 of them to be selected through direct elections and the remaining 47 proportional representation seats to be allocated to parties according to the numbers of votes that they receive overall. (Yonhap)