That's why presidential candidates are actively recruiting endorsers. This is because the presence of a prestigious chairman is an important indicator of a candidate's competitiveness. Moreover, it has a significant impact on the size of presidential campaign contributions. According to the current campaign finance law, a presidential candidate's committee can raise up to 2.789 billion won ($2.788 million), or 5% of the official campaign expenses.

Moon Jae-in, a senior adviser to the main opposition Democratic Unity Party, on Thursday touted lawyer Kim Chang-guk, 71, who served as the first chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, as its sponsor. 

Kim became acquainted with Moon when he was an active member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyeon), and served as the chairman of the committee to investigate the property of pro-North Korean actors. He said, "It is a burden to take on such an important position, but I will do my best. I believe in Moon's sincerity and dedication, and I am convinced that he is the right person to be president of Korea." 

Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Cho Kyung-tae (Sahaeul, Busan), the only opposition three-term lawmaker in the South, entrusted his mentor, Hoseo University professor Noh Jae-cheol, with the chairmanship of the sponsorship committee. Cho had served as the sponsorship chairman of the late Rep. Kim Geun-tae since his first election, but when he passed away at the end of last year, Noh took over. Professor Noh said, "As a mentor to Rep. Cho, I will devote all my energy to the activities of the sponsorship chairman. I will continue my efforts to bring in a better person," he said.

Rep. Lee Jae-oh of the Saenuri Party recruited Park Jin-seo, a representative of Ilheung Unemployment who served as president of Chung-Ang University's alumni association last year, and Cha Jin-young, a representative of small and medium-sized enterprises, as co-sponsors. "Both of them have known Lee for a long time and have a good understanding of each other," Lee said.

Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo of the Saenuri Party and Gyeongnam Gov. Kim Doo-kwan of the Democratic Party of Korea have yet to resign as governors, so they have yet to appoint a sponsorship chairman.

Meanwhile, the Saenuri Party's former emergency committee chairwoman Park Geun-hye is struggling to find someone to serve as sponsor.