1973 South Korean legislative election

Legislative elections were held in South Korea on 27 February 1973.[1]

1973 South Korean legislative election

27 February 1973
All 219 seats to the National Assembly and 73 Presidential appointees 110 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	72.9% (0.3 pp)
Majority party Minority party   Leader Park Chung-hee Yu Chin-san Party Democratic Republican New Democratic Leader since 31 August 1963 28 September 1972 Leader's seat not contesting (President) Daedeok, Yeongi, Geumsan Last election 113 seats 89 seats Seats won 73 52 Seat change 40 37 Popular vote 4,251,754 3,577,300 Percentage 38.7% 32.5%

The result was a victory for the ruling Democratic Republican Party, which won 73 of the 146 elected seats in the National Assembly. With one-thirds of seats appointed by President Park Chung-hee, the ruling party had a supermajority. 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.[2] 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.[3] One month before the election, the latter formed the Democratic Unification Party.[4][5] However, the DUP performed poorly and split the opposition vote, and in the aftermath the members expressed regret for their decision to run.[6]

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Democratic Republican Party	4,251,754	38.7	73	–40
New Democratic Party	3,577,300	32.5	52	–37
Democratic Unification Party	1,114,204	10.2	2	New
Independents	2,048,178	18.6	19	New
Presidential appointees	–	–	73	New
Invalid/blank votes	205,048	–	–	–
Total	11,196,484	100	219	+15
Registered voters/turnout	15,690,130	72.9	–	–
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p420 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
2. 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.
3. "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.
4. "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.
5. "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.
6. "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.