SEOUL (REUTERS) - South Korean liberal human rights lawyer Moon Jae In won the presidency in an election on Tuesday (May 9), exit polls showed, ending nine years of conservative rule.

Moon, will aim to move quickly to fill Cabinet jobs in the absence of the typical transition period after the ouster of his predecessor, Park Geun Hye, in March over a corruption scandal.

Following are likely contenders, in alphabetical order, for some of the main jobs Moon will be filling.

PRIME MINISTER CANDIDATE AN HEE JUNG, 52, governor of South Chungcheong Province

An competed against Moon in the Democratic Party's primary. A former aide to a liberal president, Roh Moo Hyun, for whom Moon also served in various capacities, An is in his second term as governor of one of the key swing provinces in the presidential election.

Seen by supporters as a young reformer and "Obama of South Korea", An is considered sharp on policy but his lack of experience working in Parliament is considered a weakness.

HONG SEOK HYUN, 67, former chairman of JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, JTBC TV station

Hong was the head of one of the most influential conservative newspapers as well as the cable TV network that broke major stories about the graft scandal that led to the ouster and arrest of Park Geun Hye. He is also the brother-in-law of Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun Hee.

Hong told media he met Moon last month to discuss the possibility of a major role in government. There had been speculation Hong himself would run for president.

He was appointed by former President Roh Moo Hyun, Moon's political mentor, as ambassador to the United States in 2005. But he stepped down after less than a year after being implicated in a scandal over Samsung Group political slush funds.

JEON YUN CHURL, 77, former deputy prime minister, chief of staff to former President Kim Dae Jung

Jeon, who has spent more than 40 years as a public servant, was one of the first heavyweights recruited by Moon for his campaign. He is from South Jeolla Province, a Democratic Party stronghold.

A graduate of Seoul National University, Jeon served both liberal and conservative presidents in a variety of roles including as chairman of the antitrust regulator and head of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea.

FINANCE MINISTER CHO YOON JE, 65, former presidential economic adviser

Cho, an economic adviser in Moon's camp, held posts at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University and is said to favour centrist, market-centred economic policies.

Cho was appointed by former President Roh Moo Hyun ambassador to Britain after serving as an economic adviser in Roh's office.

KIM KWANG DOO, 69, professor emeritus, Sogang University

Kim, an economic policy adviser to Moon, was also an economic policy architect for former President Park and served as head of a policy think-tank that formed in 2010 to help Park's run for president. He is seen as a possible finance minister or prime minister.

A graduate of Sogang University who has a PhD in economics from the University of Hawaii, Kim has never held any minister-level jobs.

Kim told Reuters in an interview in April he wanted to take a supporting role behind the scenes, suggesting he did not plan to take a Cabinet post or hold a senior position in the presidential office.

BAEK GUN KI, 67, former lawmaker, retired general

Baek, a graduate of the Korea Military Academy, served for more than 30 years in the army and was a four-star general during the Roh Moo Hyun administration.

He later became a lawmaker and has emerged as a key security policy figure for the Democratic Party. He stood for election to Parliament in 2016 but lost out to a conservative candidate.

SONG YOUNG MOO, 68, former navy chief of staff

Song, who served in the navy for more than three decades, has been a main security adviser for Moon in the this campaign as well as Moon's 2012 presidential campaign.

A decorated veteran, Song took part in a 2009 skirmish between North and South Korean naval vessels off the western coast of the Korean peninsula and was later awarded the Chungmu Order of Military Merit.

CHO BYUNG JAE, 60, former ambassador to Malaysia and Myanmar

Cho, an adviser to Moon on foreign policy and security, was a career diplomat who served as ambassador to Myanmar and Malaysia before joining Moon's camp.

A graduate of the Seoul National University, Cho was the lead negotiator for South Korea during 2008 negotiations with the United States on cost-sharing support for US forces stationed in South Korea.

CHUNG EUI YONG, 71, former lawmaker, former head of the South Korean mission in Geneva

Chung, who leads a team of Moon's foreign policy advisers, is a career diplomat who held senior roles in the US and Israel, as well as did stints at the International Labour Organisation and an intellectual property council under the World Trade Organisation.

Chung also served a term as a lawmaker, from 2004 to 2008.

KIM KI JUNG, 61, dean, Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Administration

Kim, a career academic hailed by media as Moon's "foreign policy brain", Kim has been appearing at public events to explain Moon's foreign and security policies.

Kim, who graduated from Yonsei and holds a PhD in political science from the University of Connecticut, has not held public office.