1973 South Korean legislative election

1973 South Korean legislative election

← 1971 27 February 1973 1978 →

146 of the 219 seats in the National Assembly
110 seats needed for a majority
Turnout71.36% (Decrease 1.86pp)
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Leader Park Chung-hee Yu Chin-san Yang il-dong
Party Democratic Republican New Democratic Democratic Unification
Last election 113 seats 89 seats Did not exist
Seats won 73 52 3
Seat change Decrease 40 Decrease 37 New
Popular vote 4,251,754 3,577,300 1,114,204
Percentage 38.68% 32.55% 10.14%
Swing Decrease 10.09pp Decrease 11.83pp New

Speaker before election

None

Elected Speaker

Chung Il-kwon
Democratic Republican

Legislative elections were held in South Korea on 27 February 1973 to elect 146 members of the National Assembly.[1] Another 73 members appointed by President Park Chung-hee were indirectly elected by the National Conference for Unification on 7 March 1973.[2]

The result was a supermajority victory for the ruling Democratic Republican Party, which won 73 of the 146 elected seats in the National Assembly along with the 73 seats filled by Park's appointees. Voter turnout was 72.9%.

The election reconstituted the National Assembly after Park had dissolved it in the October Restoration self-coup four months earlier and pushed through a constitutional referendum which removed presidential term limits and gave him the power to appoint one-third of the National Assembly.[3] The opposition New Democratic Party had also split in 1972 over a leadership dispute between the Yu Chin-san faction and an opposing faction led by Kim Dae-jung and Kim Hong-il.[4] One month before the election, the latter formed the Democratic Unification Party [ko].[5][6] However, the DUP performed poorly and split the opposition vote, and in the aftermath the members expressed regret for their decision to run.[7]

Electoral system

[edit]

Of the elected seats, two members were elected from each constituency via single non-transferable vote.

Results

[edit]
2
52
73
19
73
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democratic Republican Party4,251,75438.6873–40
New Democratic Party3,577,30032.5552–37
Democratic Unification Party1,114,20410.142New
Independents2,048,17818.6319New
Presidential appointees73New
Total10,991,436100.00219+15
Valid votes10,991,43698.17
Invalid/blank votes205,0481.83
Total votes11,196,484100.00
Registered voters/turnout15,690,13071.36
Source: Nohlen et al.

By city/province

[edit]
Region Total
seats
Seats won
DRP NDP DUP Ind.
Seoul 16 7 8 0 1
Busan 8 4 4 0 0
Gyeonggi 16 9 6 0 1
Gangwon 10 5 3 0 2
North Chungcheong 8 5 2 0 1
South Chungcheong 14 6 6 0 2
North Jeolla 12 4 4 0 4
South Jeolla 20 10 6 2 2
North Gyeongsang 22 12 5 0 5
South Gyeongsang 18 10 8 0 0
Jeju 2 1 0 0 1
Total 146 73 52 2 19

Presidential appointees

[edit]

On 7 March 1973, the National Conference for Unification indirectly elected 73 members of the National Assembly appointed by President Park Chung-hee. The number of delegates present was 2,354, with 2,251 delegates approving the election of Park's appointees.[2]

PartyVotes%Seats
Presidential appointees2,25196.4973
Against823.51
Total2,333100.0073
Valid votes2,33399.11
Invalid/blank votes210.89
Total votes2,354100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,35999.79
Source: Naver News Library[2]

By city/province

[edit]
Region Votes Delegates
For Against Invalid Voted Absent Total
Seoul 299 2 0 301 2 303
Busan 95 7 1 103 1 104
Gyeonggi 274 4 2 280 0 280
Gangwon 135 10 0 145 0 145
North Chungcheong 125 2 0 127 0 127
South Chungcheong 226 5 0 231 0 231
North Jeolla 187 10 3 200 0 200
South Jeolla 297 11 3 311 1 312
North Gyeongsang 335 13 5 353 1 354
South Gyeongsang 253 18 7 278 0 278
Jeju 25 0 0 25 0 25
Total 2,251 82 21 2,354 5 2,359
Source: Naver News Library[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p420 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
  2. ^ a b c d "三年制議員(삼년제의원)73명 大統領推薦(대통령추천)대로選出(선출)". Naver News Library.
  3. ^ Lee, Kap-Yun (1999). "The Votes Mattered: Decreasing Party Support under the Two-Member-District SNTV in Korea (1973–1978)". In Grofman, Bernard; Lee, Sung-Chull; Winckler, Edwin; Woodall, Brian (eds.). Elections in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan Under the Single Non-Transferable Vote: The Comparative Study of an Embedded Institution. University of Michigan Press. p. 252. ISBN 9780472109098.
  4. ^ "新民全黨大會 珍山系만으로 强行" [New Democratic Party convention: Chin-san faction alone pushes it through]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 26 September 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 16 May 2018 – via Naver News Library.
  5. ^ "金弘壹씨系 新民黨 떠나기로 鄭一亨씨는 殘留" [Kim Hong-il faction leaves New Democratic Party, Chyung Yil-hyung remains]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 18 January 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via Naver News Library.
  6. ^ "金弘壹씨新民脫党 民統党에參与할듯" [Kim Hong-il will leave New Democratic Party and join Democratic Unification Party]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). 19 January 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via Naver News Library.
  7. ^ "統一黨간부들, 總選참여를후회" [Unification Party leaders regret participation in general election]. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 3 March 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via Naver News Library.