1971 South Korean presidential election

Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 27 April 1971.[1] The result was a victory for incumbent president Park Chung-hee, who won 53.2% of the vote. Voter turnout was 79.8%.[2] Within a year of his re-election, Park declared martial law and introduced the Yushin Constitution, which vested him with sweeping and near-dictatorial powers.

1971 South Korean presidential election
27 April 1971
 
Nominee Park Chung-hee Kim Dae-jung
Party Democratic Republican New Democratic
Popular vote 6,342,828 5,395,900
Percentage 53.2% 45.3%
Map of pluralities won in provinces and cities:

■ – Park Chung Hee

■ – Kim Dae-jung
President before election

Park Chung-hee
Democratic Republican

 Elected President

Park Chung-hee
Democratic Republican

These would be the last contested presidential elections in South Korea until 1981, and the last direct presidential elections until 1987.

Nominations

Democratic Republican Party

The DRP Convention was held on 17 March 1971, at which incumbent president Park Chung-hee became the presidential nominee.[3]

New Democratic Party

By tradition, the most senior members of the party leadership were supposed to run for president. It was assumed that either former Korea University president Yu Jin-oh, the sitting party chair Yu Jin-san, or former president Yun Po-sun would be chosen for the party's candidate. However, the norm was broken by lawmaker Kim Young-sam, who was only in his early forties, when he declared his bid for the New Democratic nomination for president on 8 November 1969. He was followed by Kim Dae-jung and Lee Cheol-seung, both prominent politicians in their forties. The party leadership tried to discourage the three candidates at first, but later conceded that it was now time for the new generation to take over. Lee Cheol-seung withdrew his bid and endorsed Kim Dae-jung after the party leadership, including Chairman Yu Jin-san, announced they would be backing Kim Young-sam.

At the convention held on 29 September 1970, the establishment-endorsed Kim Young-sam surprisingly lost to the minority faction's Kim Dae-jung, who became the party's candidate.[4]

Candidate First round Second round
Delegates % Delegates %
Kim Dae-jung38243.1645851.81
Kim Young-sam42147.5741046.38
Invalid/blank votes829.27161.81
Total885100884100

Results
Candidate Party Votes %
Park Chung-heeDemocratic Republican Party6,342,82853.2
Kim Dae-jungNew Democratic Party5,395,90045.3
Jin Bok-kiPeople's Party122,9141.0
Park Ki-chulDemocratic Nationalist Party43,7530.4
Lee Jong-yunLiberal Democratic Party17,8230.1
Invalid/blank votes494,606–
Total12,417,824100
Source: Nohlen et al.

By province
Province or city Park Chung Hee Kim Dae-jung Jin Bok-ki Park Ki-chul Lee Jong-yun Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Seoul 805,772 (40.0%) 1,198,018 (59.4%) 6,881 (0.3%) 4,811 (0.2%) 1,426 (0.1%) 2,016,098
Gyeonggi 687,985 (48.9%) 696,582 (49.5%) 13,770 (1.0%) 6,547 (0.5%) 2,995 (0.2%) 1,407,879
Gangweon 502,722 (60.0%) 325,556 (38.8%) 7,326 (0.9%) 2,985 (0.4%) 1,390 (0.2%) 839,979
Chungnam 556,632 (53.5%) 461,978 (44.4%) 14,411 (1.4%) 5,285 (0.5%) 2,322 (0.2%) 1,040,628
Chungbuk 312,744 (57.3%) 222,106 (40.7%) 6,989 (1.3%) 2,662 (0.5%) 1,154 (0.2%) 545,655
Jeonnam 479,737 (34.4%) 874,974 (62.8%) 31,986 (2.3%) 4,362 (0.3%) 2,122 (0.2%) 1,393,181
Jeonbuk 308,850 (35.5%) 535,519 (61.5%) 21,162 (2.4%) 3,167 (0.4%) 1,646 (0.2%) 870,344
Busan 385,999 (55.7%) 302,452 (43.6%) 1,974 (0.3%) 2,518 (0.4%) 583 (0.1%) 693,526
Gyeongnam 891,119 (73.4%) 310,595 (25.6%) 6,793 (0.6%) 4,580 (0.4%) 1,634 (0.1%) 1,214,721
Gyeongbuk 1,333,051 (75.6%) 411,116 (23.3%) 9,838 (0.6%) 6,438 (0.4%) 2,374 (0.1%) 1,762,817
Jeju 78,217 (56.9%) 57,004 (41.4%) 1,784 (1.3%) 398 (0.3%) 177 (0.1%) 137,580

References
  1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p420 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
  2. Nohlen et al., p465
  3. "의왕시사". dws124.dongwonweb.co.kr. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  4. "대권 경선사/DJ가 YS에 대역전승/70년 신민당". 중앙일보 (in Korean). 1992-05-10. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
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