1972 South Korean presidential election

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1972 South Korean presidential election
Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg
  1971 23 December 1972 1978  

2,359 members of the National Conference for Unification
1,180 votes needed to win
  Park Chung Hee (bagjeonghyi) Presidential Portrait.jpg
Nominee Park Chung-hee
Party Democratic Republican
Electoral vote2,357

1972 South Korean election.svg
Votes of the National Conference for Unification
  Park Chung-hee: 2357
  Invalid/Blank: 2

President before election

Park Chung-hee
Democratic Republican

Elected President

Park Chung-hee
Democratic Republican

Presidential elections were held in South Korea in December 1972 following the promulgation of the Yushin Constitution, which created the National Conference for Unification, a body whose functions included being an electoral college for presidential elections. Incumbent President Park Chung-hee claimed that Western-style liberal democracy would bring more chaos to the economically struggling nation than it could afford. In contrast, he argued that the Yushin system created a "Korean-style democracy" with a strong, unchallenged presidency. He argued this system was necessary to keep the country stable. [1]

Contents

National Conference for Unification election

The 2,359 members of the first National Conference for Unification were elected to their six-year term on 5 December 1972, with a voter turnout of 70%. All candidates were required to run as independents. The Constitution gave the body many powers, such as forming policies related to inter-Korean relationship, and determining the president as well as one-third of the National Assembly. However, the body was little more than a rubber stamp, as all of its actions were controlled by the president. [2]

RegionElectorateTurnout%Valid votesDelegates
Seoul 3,113,7671,773,45457.01,702,369303
Busan 941,884642,64168.2622,823104
Gyeonggi 1,664,4471,154,71169.41,123,083280
Gangwon 788,276629,91579.9613,395145
North Chungcheong 602,554461,54776.6447,557127
South Chungcheong 1,278,743924,87472.3900,402231
North Jeolla 1,092,516838,21176.7810,011200
South Jeolla 1,636,3821,174,36471.81,138,441312
North Gyeongsang 1,970,6471,507,09276.51,457,409354
South Gyeongsang 1,339,5831,038,38877.51,009,869278
Jeju 170,818138,59681.1135,24225
Total14,599,61710,283,79370.49,960,6012,359

The newly sworn-in members of the National Conference for Unification convened on 23 December to elect Park to a fourth term as president. With no opposition candidates, Park was elected with the support of 2,357 out of the 2,359 delegates. [3] The elections were regarded as a formality. [4]

The National Conference for Unification members elected in 1972 would later approve Park's slate of nominees for one-third of the National Assembly in 1973 and 1976.[ citation needed ]

Presidential election

In order to be elected, a candidate had to receive the vote of over 50% of the incumbent members of the National Council for Unification. With 2,359 delegates in office, Park had to receive at least 1,180 votes to be elected. He received 2,357 votes, 99.92% of the total possible.[ citation needed ]

As there was only one candidate registered, the only way the deputies could vote against Park was by casting invalid ballots. One of the two deputies who did that, Song Dong-heon from Daejeon-1 District, revealed later in his life that he purposefully wrote "박정의" (Park Chung-ee) instead of "박정희" (Park Chung-hee) on his ballot in order to protest the dictatorial regime. [5]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican Party 2,357100.00
Total2,357100.00
Valid votes2,35799.92
Invalid/blank votes20.08
Total votes2,359100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,359100.00

References

  1. "주체사상과 한국적 민주주의는 왜 나왔을까 - 매일경제". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  2. 김, 덕련 (2016-06-08). "99.9% 박정희 옹립한 북한식 거수기들, 그 실체는…". Pressian (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  3. Korea Annual, 1978. Hapdong News Agency. p. 51.
  4. Shelley, B. (2005) Democratic Development in East Asia. Psychology Press. p. 78.
  5. Song, Seong-bin. "Stories Behind 1972 Presidential Election: Indirect Election, Told By Then-Deputy Song Dong-heon." Study of Home Province, South Chungcheong Home Province Research Association.