The official presidential campaign period kicked off Tuesday for a 22-day run, allowing candidates to rally on streets and ad campaigns to hit the air in a final appeal to voters ahead of the election on March 9.

Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, launched his campaign of the official period at the stroke of midnight with a visit to a vessel traffic control tower in the southeastern port city of Busan.

Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the main opposition People Power Party, is scheduled to begin his campaign by paying his respects at Seoul National Cemetery, a customary visit for South Korean politicians at the start of a new journey.

Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People's Party plans to meet with voters in the conservative stronghold of Daegu before visiting the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee in the southeastern city.

Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party is to greet voters in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, and spend the first two days in the liberal Jeolla provinces.

A total of 14 people have registered their candidacies with the National Election Commission, the election watchdog.

During the official campaign period, candidates are allowed to print their party platforms and other campaign material in newspapers up to 70 times and air TV and radio ad campaigns of up to a minute as many as 30 times per channel.

Candidates will be able to make speeches in open spaces with the help of campaign vehicles and loudspeakers between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Election workers and volunteers will also be allowed to sing campaign songs and dance.

Poll results cannot be released starting six days before the election, or from March 3, to prevent the results from affecting voters' choices.

This will be the first presidential election to be held after the legal voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 in 2020.

Under a bill passed by the National Assembly on Monday, COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine will also be able to vote on election day from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. after regular polling closes. (Yonhap)