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1981 South Korean presidential election

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FieldValue
election_name1981 South Korean presidential election
countryRepublic of Korea
flag_year1949
previous_election1980 South Korean presidential election
previous_year1980
next_election1987 South Korean presidential election
next_year1987
module{{Infobox election
embedyes
election_namePresidential election
typepresidential
ongoingno
election_date25 February 1981
needed_votes2,639 electoral
votes_for_election5,277 members of the Electoral College
image1Chun Doo-hwan (전두환) Presidential Portrait (3x4).jpg
nominee1**Chun Doo-hwan**
party1Democratic
Justice
electoral_vote1**4,755**
percentage1**90.23%**
image2
nominee2Yu Chi-song
party2Democratic Korea Party
electoral_vote2404
percentage27.67%
module{{Infobox legislative election
embedyes
election_nameElectoral College election
election_date11 February 1981
turnout78.12%
first_electionyes
leader1Chun Doo-hwan
party1Democratic Justice Party
percentage160.71
seats13,667
leader2Yu Chi-song
party2Democratic Korea Party
percentage211.67
seats2411
leader3Kim Chong-cheol
party3Korean National Party
percentage31.15
seats349
leader4Kim Eui-taek
party4Civil Rights Party (South Korea)
percentage40.82
seats419
leader5–
colour5
party5Independents
percentage525.66
seats51,132
embedyes
titlePresident
before_electionChun Doo-hwan
before_partyDemocratic Justice Party
after_electionChun Doo-hwan
after_partyDemocratic Justice Party
map_captionElectoral College vote
map_imageSouth Korean presidential election 1981.svg

Justice](democratic-justice-party)

Two-stage presidential elections were held in South Korea in February 1981. An electoral college was elected on 11 February, which in turn elected the president on 25 February. They were the last indirect presidential elections controlled by the government of Chun Doo-hwan under the new 1980 constitution. Chun was re-elected with 90% of the electoral college vote.

Background

Rising to prominence as the leader of the military after the assassination of former military dictator of South Korea Park Chung-hee, Security Commander Chun Doo-hwan successfully forced Park's successor Choi Kyu-hah to step down from the presidency and became president himself through the indirect elections of 1980.

He then revised the Constitution on 27 October 1980. The revised constitution was slightly less authoritarian than its predecessor. Among other things, it changed the presidential election system. Although it was still an indirect election by the electoral college, opposition candidates were now allowed to enter. The president was limited to a single seven-year term without the possibility of re-election, and any change allowing re-election was blocked from taking effect for the president in office at the time of amendment. However, this had no effect on the political landscape. Chun had jailed most prominent opposition politicians, including former NDP chairman Kim Young-sam, 1971 NDP presidential nominee Kim Dae-jung, and former prime minister Kim Jong-pil, all three of whom would later face Chun's handpicked successor, Roh Tae-Woo, in the 1987 presidential election.

Presidential nominations

The Democratic Justice Party (DJP) National Convention was held on 15 January at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul. At the convention, 3,162 delegates from around the nation nominated the sitting President Chun Doo-hwan without a vote.

The Democratic Korea Party (DKP) National Convention was held on 17 January at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts in Seoul. Yu Chi-song, a former 3-term lawmaker from Gyeonggi, was nominated as the party's candidate for president.

The Korea Nationalist Party (KNP) National Convention was held on 23 January at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts, and saw Kim Chong-cheol, a former five-term lawmaker from South Chungcheong, nominated.

The Civil Rights Party National Convention was held on 23 January at the Cheondo Hall; Kim Eui-taek, a former four-term lawmaker from South Jeolla was chosen as the party's candidate.

Other political parties including the Democratic Socialist Party, the Socialist Party and the New Politics Party announced they would not be participating in the elections as they were not capable of finding viable candidates for president or the electoral college.

Electoral College nominations

Province/CitySeatsCandidates nominatedDJPDKPKNPCRPDSPInd.Democratic Justice Party}}"Democratic Korea Party}}"Korean National Party}}"Civil Rights Party (South Korea)}}"Democratic Socialist Party (South Korea)}}"Independent}}"**Total**5,2784,9281,16513710112,951
Seoul85675319918290482
Busan32427766350153
Gyeonggi6707132218160252
Gangwon299293821230206
North Chungcheong256270741851105
South Chungcheong4654281213490173
North Jeolla407387955190220
South Jeolla6065161182960386
North Gyeongsang75566488100626
South Gyeongsang58757897990322
Jeju5349400026
Source: [Central Administration Committee](http://dl.nanet.go.kr/SearchDetailView.do?cn=MONO1199222637_1)

Electoral College election

According to official figures, 78.1% of registered voters voted, and gave Chun's DJP a supermajority of 3,667 seats in the electoral college, 69.5 percent of the total. The DJP won three times as many seats as independent candidates, and nine times as many seats as the largest opposition party, the Democratic Korea Party.

민권당|lt=Civil Rights Party}}|votes4=124215|seats4=19

By province and city

Province/CityDJPDKPKNPCRPDSPIndependentTotalDemocratic Justice Party}}Democratic Korea Party}}Korean National Party}}Civil Rights Party (South Korea)}}Democratic Socialist Party (South Korea)}}Independent}}Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotesSeatsTotal
Seoul1,918,21556.51551540,55215.9213729,6470.87448,8681.44700.000857,44225.261573,394,724856
Busan799,98163.79234148,40311.83339,3970.7524,4910.36000.000291,74523.26551,254,017324
Gyeonggi1,361,72769.03545283,18414.354412,2970.62317,9370.91300.000297,62215.09751,972,767670
Gangwon523,46764.1524075,4309.24415,7161.9331,9320.24000.000199,44424.4452815,989299
North Chungcheong423,37565.8120777,11811.991320,9203.2533,9930.6208250.130117,07118.2033643,302256
South Chungcheong669,38162.96338133,96412.604235,6043.35108,1210.76000.000216,17320.33751,063,248465
North Jeolla607,74762.62291106,70010.99264,5520.47024,5202.53600.000227,06423.3984970,583407
South Jeolla763,29352.18351160,66610.985134,4062.35206,1200.42100.000498,32834.071831,462,813606
North Gyeongsang1,249,10757.48449125,5305.78268030.04000.00000.000797,70236.712802,173,142755
South Gyeongsang815,47862.10420116,8028.893411,3660.8748,2330.63200.000361,35827.521271,313,237587
Jeju118,49168.09419,6585.55100.00000.00000.00045,87226.3611174,02153
9,250,26260.713,6671,778,00711.67411174,7081.1549124,2150.82198250.103,909,82125.661,13215,237,8385,278
Source: [Central Administration Committee](http://dl.nanet.go.kr/SearchDetailView.do?cn=MONO1199222637_1)

Electoral College vote

In order to be elected, a candidate had to receive the vote of over 50% of the incumbent members of the Electoral College. Of the 5,277 electors who were elected on 11 February and had not been removed from office (one member was removed in Busan), this meant 2,639 votes were needed to win. Sitting president Chun Doo-hwan was re-elected by a landslide on 25 February with 4,755 votes, 90.11% of the total possible. However, the DJP's supermajority in the electoral college meant Chun's election was all but assured.

By province and city

Province/CityChun Doo-hwanYu Chi-songKim Chong-cheolKim Eui-taekDemocratic Justice Party}}"Democratic Korea Party}}"Korean National Party}}"Civil Rights Party (South Korea)}}"Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
SeoulDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**703**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**82.22**13315.56111.2980.94
BusanDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**285**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**88.79**3310.2830.9300.00
GyeonggiDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**620**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**92.54**436.4240.6030.45
GangwonDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**292**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**97.66**41.3431.0000.00
North ChungcheongDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**238**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**92.97**145.4741.5600.00
South ChungcheongDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**406**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**87.31**418.82183.8700.00
North JeollaDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**369**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**91.34**256.1930.7471.73
South JeollaDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**521**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**85.97**518.42284.6260.99
North GyeongsangDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**723**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**95.89**293.8520.2700.00
South GyeongsangDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**546**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**93.02**305.1191.5320.34
JejuDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**52**Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"**98.11**11.8900.0000.00
TotalDemocratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"4,755Democratic Justice Party}}; color:white;"90.234047.67851.61260.49
Source: [Central Administration Committee](http://dl.nanet.go.kr/SearchDetailView.do?cn=MONO1199222637_1)

Aftermath

The term of the newly elected president officially began on the day the electoral votes were cast and counted, 25 February. The inauguration ceremony took place on 3 March. This marked the official beginning of the Fifth Republic of Korea, a dictatorial regime that lasted until democratization in 1988.

Notes

References

References

  1. [http://news.donga.com/List/Series_7003/3/7003/20090115/8684380/1 책갈피 속의 오늘] 1981년 민정당, 전두환 총재 추대] Donga, 15 January 2009
  2. [http://isplus.live.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=1555861 민한당, 17일에 창당대회] JoongAng Ilbo, 15 January 1981
  3. [http://news.joins.com/article/1558185 민정당 선거인우보 48.6%로 가장많아] JoongAng Ilbo, 6 February 1981
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