By Chung Min-uck

The ruling Saenuri Party Tuesday announced its list of proportional representative candidates for the April 11 National Assembly elections.

The proportional representation system was adopted in 2004 to elect experts from various fields to enhance the operation of the legislative body.

Voters cast two ballots each, one for their favorite district-based candidate and the other for their favorite party.

In the upcoming elections, voters will elect a total of 54 proportional representatives who will be decided based on the number of votes each party receives.

The ruling party unveiled its line-up of 46 names, as it believes it would be extremely unlikely for even those at the bottom of the list to be voted in.

Topping the Saenuri Party list was female nuclear scientist Min Byung-joo, 53, followed by Kim Jung-rok, 61, head of the Korea Association of Persons with Disabilities.

Throughout her career, Min has held various posts in relation to nuclear energy projects as the president of the Korean Woman Scientists and Engineers, one of the first associations of female scientists and engineers in Korea. She currently serves as a researcher at the state-run Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.

Min is also internationally recognized.

In 2005, she received a World Nuclear Association award in recognition of her role in advancing the use of nuclear technology as a female scientist.

Kim, who is disabled himself, was chosen as the ruling party's proportional candidate for enhancing rights of handicapped people.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the interim leadership committee of the Saenuri Party, was placed 11th on the list.

The party's nomination committee initially considered putting Park on the top of the list but backed off at the last minute as it could give voters a negative impression that she prefers an easy means of monopolizing the party for her expected presidential bid later this year.

The ruling party secured 22 proportional seats in the 2008 parliamentary elections.

North Korean defector-turned-scholar Cho Myung-chul, 53, who now heads the state-run Institute for Unification Education, was named fourth on the list.

Cho is likely to be the first North Korean defector to become a South Korean lawmaker.

Other candidates include former national table tennis player Lee Elisa, 57, in 9th place and Lee Jasmine, 35, a naturalized Korean from the Philippines, in 17th place.

"What we considered most is how moving the list would be to the people," said Chung Hong-won, head of the party's selection committee.

Analysts say the ruling party gave preference to those who have backgrounds in science and engineering, and minorities in the Korean society to appeal to voters.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) is also planning on releasing its list of candidates for proportional representatives soon.

Reportedly, the party's candidate screening committee has placed Chun Soon-ok, 58, first on the list.

Chun is the younger sister of Chun Tae-il, a blue-collar worker in the 1970s who set himself on fire in the streets of Seoul which drew attention to the nation's inhumane working conditions back then.

The symbolic act ignited the nation's blue-collar workers to begin fighting for their rights and forming labor unions.

Prospective candidates also include Han Myeong-sook, chairwoman of the DUP, Lim Soo-kyung, 44, who drew public attention in 1989 for visiting North Korea as student activist and Lee Suk-haeng, 54, former president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the nation's second largest umbrella labor group.