The ruling People Power Party's(PPP) talent recruitment committee announced the first five new recruits ahead of April’s general elections.

Panel chair Lee Chul-gyu said on Friday that the five have greatly contributed to society as experts in areas concerning youths, women, children and North Korean defectors.

They are pediatrician Ha Jung-hoon, well known for his best-selling medical guidebook for parents with young children, defector-turned-Hyundai Steel research engineer Park Choong-kwon, youth mentor Yoon Do-hyun, lawyer Koo Ja-ryong and forensic psychologist professor Lee Soo-jung. 

The panel chief said some will run for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming elections, such as the professor, who has expressed a resolve to run in the Gyeonggi provincial city of Suwon where she has worked 27 years at Kyonggi University.

The committee plans to recruit over 40 prospective parliamentary candidates and policy contributors through mid-January.