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Elections in South Korea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| South Korea |
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Other countries · Politics Portal |
Elections in South Korea are held on national level to select the President and the National Assembly.
The president is directly elected for a single five-year term. The National Assembly has 299 members elected for a four-year term, 243 in single-seat constituencies and 46 members by proportional representation.
South Korea has a multi-party system, with numerous parties.
| Parties | Votes | % | +/− | Seats | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uri Party (열린우리당, Yeollin Uri-dang) | 8,145,824 | 38.3 | — | 152 | +105 |
| Grand National Party (한나라당, Hannara-dang) | 7,613,660 | 35.8 | −3.2 | 121 | −24 |
| Democratic Labour Party (민주노동당, Minju Nodong-dang) | 2,773,769 | 13.0 | — | 10 | +10 |
| Millennium Democratic Party (새천년민주당, Saecheonnyeon Minju-dang) | 1,510,178 | 7.1 | −28.8 | 9 | −53 |
| United Liberal Democrats (자유민주연합, Jayu Minju Yeonhap) | 600,462 | 2.8 | −7.0 | 4 | −6 |
| Others | 642,091 | 0.3 | — | 3 | −6 |
| Total (60 % out of 35,596,497 registered voters) | 21,285,984 | 100.0 | 299 |
| Candidates and nominating parties | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Roh Moo-hyun, 노무현 - Millennium Democratic Party (Sae Cheonnyeon Minjudang) | 12,014,277 | 49.0 |
| Lee Hoi-chang, 이회창 - Grand National Party (Hannara Dang) | 11,443,297 | 46.5 |
| Kwon Young-ghil, 권영길 - Democratic Labour Party (Minju Nodongdang) | 957,148 | 3.9 |
| Total (turnout 70.8 %) | ||
| Source: Digital Chosun Ilbo | ||
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South Korean presidential elections
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(This list is not complete)
The election was held on 1948-05-10.
- See the article South Korean election of 1948.
Under the original constitution of South Korea, the president was elected indirectly by the National Assembly.[1] The first and only such election was held on 1948-07-20. Syngman Rhee received 182 of 199 votes (92%), thus defeating the two independent candidates Kim Koo(who received 13 votes, despite not participating in the process) and An Jae-hong (안재홍), who received 2 votes.[2] Rhee thus became the Republic of Korea's first president.
The vice-president was elected separately at the same parliamentary session. Under the rules of the first constitution, a candidate had to receive 2/3 of the votes in order to prevail; however, in the first round, no vice-presidential candidate was able to do so. Lee Si-hyeong received only a simple a majority with 113 votes, Kim Koo 65, Cho Man-sik 10, Oh Se-Chang 5, Jang Taek-sang 3, and Seo Sang-in 1. A runoff was therefore held between Kim and Yi, in which Yi took in 133 votes and gained the vice-presidency..[3]
Less than a year after the election, on 1949-06-26, Kim was assassinated by 2nd lieutenant and Korean Independence Party member An Du-hui (안두희), whom a bus driver killed in Incheon on 1996-10-23.[4]
In May 1952, Rhee pushed through constitutional amendments which made the presidency a directly-elected position after having jailed members of parliament whom he expected to vote against it. In the same month, elections were held.
Election held during the Korean war on 1952-05-08. Turnout: 88.09 %. Result: Syngman Rhee (이승만; 74.62 %; Liberal Party [자유당]) wins over Cho Bong-am (조봉암; 11.36 %), Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 10,89 %; vice president of 1948) and Sin Heung-u (신흥우; 3,13 %), thus being elected into his second term in office. He then pushes through another amendment to exempt himself from the presidential eight-year term limit. Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 3,51 %
To be added.
President Rhee has become less popular, but the opposition's main candidate for presidency Shin Ik-hee (신익희) suddenly dies while campaigning.
Election held on 1956-05-15. Turnout: 94.38 %. Result: Syngman Rhee (이승만; 69.99 %; Liberal Party [자유당]) wins over Cho Bong-am (조봉암; 30.01 %; Progressive Party), thus being elected into his third term in office. Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 20,48 %
Election held on 15 March 1960.
The opposition's only candidate for presidency Cho Byeong-ok (조병옥) dies on 15 February 1960. The only living candidate Rhee Syngman Rhee (이승만; Liberal Party [자유당]) gets 100% of the vote. Other candidates: none.
Vice president is elected separately, with Rhee's favourite Lee Gi-bung (이기붕) being declared victor. Opposition claims election was rigged and declares it invalid.
Public pressure topples Rhee's regime: The president resigns on 1960-04-26 and is evacuated from Korea by the United States' CIA two days later. In response to his government's authoritarian excesses, the state changes to a parliamentary system, in which the president wields no power.
To be added.
On 1960-08-12, the newly elected parliament elects a new president. Yun Po Sun, whom Rhee had appointed mayor of Seoul in 1948 and minister in 1949, but who soon opposed him and in 1960 eventually founded the Democratic Party (민주당), is elected president (82%) and appoints Chang Myeon (장면) prime minister. Chang leaves the Democratic Party to form the New Democratic Party (신민당).
In 1961, Major-General Park Chung Hee successfully leads a military coup and takes over power, leaving Yun in office. Yun resigns on 1962-03-22.
Under pressure from the Kennedy administration in the United States, Park has to restore civilian government, but closely wins the following elections:
Election held on 1963-10-15. Turnout: 84.99 %. Result: Park Chung Hee (박정희; 46.65 %; Democratic Republican Party [민주공화당]; president 1963 to 1979) wins over Yun Po Sun (윤보선; 45.1 %; Democratic Party [민주당]; president 1960 to 1962) and Oh Jae-yeong (오재영; 4.05 %; Autumn Wind Club [추풍회]). Other candidates (2): 4,2 %. Votes deemed invalid: 8.65 %. The difference between Park and Yun is only 156,026 votes or 1.5477 % of valid votes.
Election held on 1967-05-03. Turnout: 83.57 %. Result: Park Chung Hee (박정희; 51.44 %; Democratic Republican Party (민주공화당); president 1963 to 1979) wins over Yun Po Sun (윤보선; 40.93 %; New People's party [신민당] president 1960 to 1962), Oh Jae-yeong (오재영; 2.39 %; Unified Korea Party [통한당]), Kim Jun-yeon (2.25 %; Democratic Party [민주당]) and Jun Jin-han (2.1 %; Korean Independence Party [한국독립당]) and Lee Se-jin (0.89 %; Justice Party [정의당]). Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 5.04 %. The difference between Park and Yun is 1,162,125 votes or 10.5087 % of valid votes.
Park wins against later president Kim Dae-jung by a margin of 8 % of valid votes and in 1972 establishes the Yusin Constitution.
Indirect presidential election controlled by Park's incumbent regime.
Indirect presidential election controlled by Park's incumbent regime.
Kim Jae-kyu, chief of the KCIA, assassinates Park on 1979-10-26. Prime minister Choe Gyuha becomes acting president under the Yusin Constitution and shortly after is elected president by the National Conference for Unification, an electoral college set up as part of the Yusin system. Chun Doo-hwan curbs his power in a military coup in December 1979; Choe resigns after the Gwangju massacre of 1980.
To be added.
To be added.
To be added.
To be added.
See above section.
See above section.
By-election held on 2005-10-26 in Bucheon, Daegu, Gwangju and Ulsan districts.
See the external links section for a comment on the by-election's outcome and aftermath.
The 2007 presidential election will take place in December 2007.
- ^ Lee (1984), p. 378.
- ^ 제1 공화국의 선거: 1. 1948년 ― 초대 대통령ㆍ부통령선거. Jeonbuk Election Commission website. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
- ^ 제1 공화국의 선거: 1. 1948년 ― 초대 대통령ㆍ부통령선거. Jeonbuk Election Commission website. Retrieved on April 19, 2006.
- ^ The date of the 1949 assassination is confirmed by Nahm (1986), p. 380. The name is confirmed by Lee (1993), p. 99.
- Nahm, A.C. (1996). Korea: A history of the Korean people (rev. ed.). Seoul: Hollym. ISBN 1-56591-070-2.
- Lee, Il-cheong (이일청) (1993). 인명국사대사전 (Inmyeong guksa daesajeon, Unabridged biographical dictionary of Korean history. Seoul: Goryeo Munhaksa.
- Lee, Ki-baik (1984). A new history of Korea (rev ed.). Seoul: Ilchokak. ISBN 89-337-0204-0.
- History of South Korea
- Constitution of the Republic of Korea
- Electoral calendar
- Electoral system
- List of Korea-related topics
- Overview of candidates, parties and outcomes of South Korean elections since 1952 (with minor flaws like 이시영 missing in the 1952 page and wrong year of Park's resignation in the 1960 page)
- Comment on the 2005-10-26 by-election results