Elections in South Korea are held on national level to select the President and the National Assembly.

The president is directly elected for a single five-year term by plurality vote. The National Assembly has 299 members elected for a four-year term, 245 in single-seat constituencies and 54 members by proportional representation. Each individual party which willing to represent its policies in the National Assembly must be qualified on the parliamentary (general) election that i) if the national party-vote reaches over 3.00% on proportional contest or ii) if more than 5 members of their party that has been elected in each of their first-past-the-post election constituencies.

South Korea has a multi-party system, with numerous parties.

Latest elections

2008 Parliamentary election

2004 Parliamentary election

2007 Presidential election

Past elections

(This list is not complete)

1948 parliamentary election

The election was held on May 10, 1948.

1948 presidential election

Under the original constitution of South Korea, the president was elected indirectly by the National Assembly. The only such election was held on July 20, 1948. Syngman Rhee received 182 of 199 votes (92%), thus defeating the two independent candidates Kim Koo(who received 13 votes, despite not participating in the process) and An Jae-hong (), who received 2 votes. Rhee thus became the Republic of Korea's first president.

The vice-president was elected separately at the same parliamentary session. Under the rules of the first constitution, a candidate had to receive 2/3 of the votes in order to prevail; however, in the first round, no vice-presidential candidate was able to do so. Lee Si-hyeong received only a simple majority with 113 votes, Kim Koo 65, Cho Man-sik 10, Oh Se-Chang 5, Jang Taek-sang 3, and Seo Sang-in 1. A runoff was therefore held between Kim and Yi, in which Yi took in 133 votes and gained the vice-presidency..

Less than a year after the election, on June 26, 1949, Kim was assassinated by 2nd lieutenant and Korean Independence Party member An Du-hui (), whom a bus driver killed in Incheon on October 23, 1996.

1952 presidential election

In May 1952, Rhee pushed through constitutional amendments which made the presidency a directly-elected position after having jailed members of parliament whom he expected to vote against it. In the same month, elections were held.

Election held during the Korean war on May 8, 1952. Turnout: 88.09 %. Result: Syngman Rhee (이승만; 74.62 %; Liberal Party [자유당]) wins over Cho Bong-am (조봉암; 11.36 %), Lee Si-yeong (이시영; 10,89 %; vice president of 1948) and Sin Heung-u (신흥우; 3,13 %), thus being elected into his second term in office. He then pushes through another amendment to exempt himself from the presidential eight-year term limit. Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 3,51 %

1954 parliamentary election

1956 presidential election

President Rhee has become less popular, but the opposition's main candidate for presidency Shin Ik-hee (신익희) suddenly dies while campaigning.

Election held on May 15, 1956. Turnout: 94.38 %. Result: Syngman Rhee (이승만; 69.99 %; Liberal Party [자유당]) wins over Cho Bong-am (조봉암; 30.01 %; Progressive Party), thus being elected into his third term in office. Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 20,48 %

March 1960 presidential election

The opposition's only candidate for presidency Cho Byeong-ok (조병옥) dies on February 15, 1960. The only living candidate Rhee Syngman Rhee (이승만; Liberal Party [자유당]) gets 100% of the vote. Other candidates: none.

Vice president is elected separately, with Rhee's favourite Lee Gi-bung (이기붕) being declared victor. Opposition claims election was rigged and declares it invalid.

Public pressure topples Rhee's regime: The president resigns on April 26, 1960 and is evacuated from Korea by the United States' CIA two days later. In response to his government's authoritarian excesses, the state changes to a parliamentary system, in which the president wields no power.

1960 parliamentary election

August 1960 presidential election

On August 12, 1960, the newly elected parliament elects a new president. Yun Po Sun, whom Rhee had appointed mayor of Seoul in 1948 and minister in 1949, but who soon opposed him and in 1960 eventually founded the Democratic Party (민주당), is elected president (82%) and appoints Chang Myeon (장면) prime minister. Chang leaves the Democratic Party to form the New Democratic Party (신민당).

In 1961, Major-General Park Chung Hee successfully leads a military coup and takes over power, leaving Yun in office. Yun resigns on March 22, 1962.

Under pressure from the Kennedy administration in the United States, Park has to restore civilian government, but closely wins the following elections:

1963 presidential election

Election held on October 15, 1963. Turnout: 84.99 %. Result: Park Chung Hee (박정희; 46.65 %; Democratic Republican Party [민주공화당]; president 1963 to 1979) wins over Yun Po Sun (윤보선; 45.1 %; Democratic Party [민주당]; president 1960 to 1962) and Oh Jae-yeong (오재영; 4.05 %; Autumn Wind Club [추풍회]). Other candidates (2): 4,2 %. Votes deemed invalid: 8.65 %.
The difference between Park and Yun is only 156,026 votes or 1.5477 % of valid votes.

1967 presidential election

Election held on May 3, 1967. Turnout: 83.57 %. Result: Park Chung Hee (박정희; 51.44 %; Democratic Republican Party (민주공화당); president 1963 to 1979) wins over Yun Po Sun (윤보선; 40.93 %; New People's party [신민당] president 1960 to 1962), Oh Jae-yeong (오재영; 2.39 %; Unified Korea Party [통한당]), Kim Jun-yeon (2.25 %; Democratic Party [민주당]) and Jun Jin-han (2.1 %; Korean Independence Party [한국독립당]) and Lee Se-jin (0.89 %; Justice Party [정의당]). Other candidates: none. Votes deemed invalid: 5.04 %. The difference between Park and Yun is 1,162,125 votes or 10.5087 % of valid votes.

1971 presidential election

Park wins against later president Kim Dae-jung by a margin of 8 % of valid votes and in 1972 establishes the Yusin Constitution.

1972 presidential election

Indirect presidential election controlled by Park's incumbent regime.

1978 presidential election

Indirect presidential election controlled by Park's incumbent regime.

Kim Jae-kyu, chief of the KCIA, assassinates Park on October 26, 1979. Prime minister Choe Gyuha becomes acting president under the Yusin Constitution and shortly after is elected president by the National Conference for Unification, an electoral college set up as part of the Yusin system. Chun Doo-hwan curbs his power in a military coup in December 1979; Choe resigns after the Gwangju massacre of 1980.

1980 presidential election

Indirect presidential election controlled by General Chun Doo-hwan.

1981 presidential election

Indirect presidential election controlled by Chun's incumbent regime under the new 1980 Constitution.

1987 presidential election

To be added.

1992 presidential election

1997 presidential election

2000 parliamentary election

2002 presidential election

2004 parliamentary election

October 26, 2005 by-election

By-election held on October 26, 2005 in Bucheon, Daegu, Gwangju and Ulsan districts.
See the external links section for a comment on the by-election's outcome and aftermath.

2007 presidential election

2008 Parliamentary election

Main article South Korean parliamentary election, 2008