Last year saw the emergence of a new political party in South Korea, that sought to overturn the perceived cronyism of the established political mainstream and represented a more dynamic and innovative future.

The People's Party was founded by tech entrepreneur Ahn Cheol-soo, who has seen his popularity soar ahead of the May 9 election.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a former doctor turned billionaire software tycoon, wants to be the president of South Korea to heal the divisions caused by the country’s corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.

“We don’t have to be constantly fighting. I want to be a bridge to unity, I want to build a unified country,” said the rising politician.

According to CGTN correspondent Jack Barton’s investigation, even though Ahn Cheol-soo is a newcomer to the political scene here, having made his debut only six years ago, over the past few weeks his numbers have shot from single digits to front-runner. His popularity has since dipped to the number two position by a narrow margin.

Ahn’s main rival is Moon Jae-in, who holds similar views on many issues, including the need for dialogue with Pyongyang and to fight inequality.

Where they differ is that Moon wants to create jobs through big state spending projects, while Ahn wants to boost small to medium-sized businesses. Ahn is also tougher on national security and says the THAAD anti-missile system is necessary, though he has criticized the haste of its deployment.

Despite falling popularity with the young, Ahn has won over some older voters who welcome his slightly tougher approach to security and his business credentials.

It is looking increasingly like South Korea’s presidential election will be a two-horse race, with both candidates representing a radical departure from the ultra-conservative policies of the now impeached former president.