1972 South Korean presidential election

none Republic of Korea 1949 presidential electoral 1971 South Korean presidential election 1971 23 December 1972 1978 South Korean presidential election 1978 2,359 members of the National Conference for Unification 1,180 File:Park Chung Hee (박정희) Presidential Portrait (3x4).jpg Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican Party (South Korea) 2,357 99.99% 1972 South Korean election.svg Votes of the National Conference for Unification #835B38 Park Chung-hee: 2357 #000000 Invalid/Blank: 2 President Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican Party (South Korea) Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican Party (South Korea) Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 23 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.https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/view/2018/11/712690/ 주체사상과 한국적 민주주의는 왜 나왔을까 - 매일경제 Maeil Business Newspaper 14 November 2018 ko 2019-03-29 2019-03-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20190329013914/https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/view/2018/11/712690/ dead 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.http://www.pressian.com/news/article.html?no=137560 99.9% 박정희 옹립한 북한식 거수기들, 그 실체는… 김 덕련 2016-06-08 Pressian ko 2019-03-29 Province/CityElectorateTurnout%Valid votesDelegatesSeoul3,113,7671,773,45457.01,702,369303Busan941,884642,64168.2622,823104Gyeonggi1,664,4471,154,71169.41,123,083280Gangwon788,276629,91579.9613,395145North Chungcheong602,554461,54776.6447,557127South Chungcheong1,278,743924,87472.3900,402231North Jeolla1,092,516838,21176.7810,011200South Jeolla1,636,3821,174,36471.81,138,441312North Gyeongsang1,970,6471,507,09276.51,457,409354South Gyeongsang1,339,5831,038,38877.51,009,869278Jeju170,818138,59681.1135,24225Total14,599,61710,283,79370.49,960,6012,359 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.Korea Annual, 1978. Hapdong News Agency. p. 51. The elections were regarded as a formality.Shelley, B. (2005) Democratic Development in East Asia. Psychology Press. p. 78. 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.May 2025 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.May 2025 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.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. Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican Party 2357 2 2359 References South Korea Presidential Category:Presidential elections in South Korea Category:Single-candidate elections