[Politics, That Day...] Voter Turnout at 84.3%?…The Voting Revolution That Shook the 2·12 General Election

New Democratic Party Born Ahead of 1985 General Election, Wins Major Cities Like Seoul and Busan... DJ-YS Alliance Checks Minjung Party's Dominance

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] ‘Politics, On That Day…’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, or figures.

The February 12, 1985 general election was like a drama. It was held during a time in the 1980s when democracy was suppressed. The opposition party challenged the Democratic Justice Party, which boasted absolute power. The newly formed party created a month before the election was called the New Korean Democratic Party (Shinhan Minjudang, Shinmindang).

What Shinmindang relied on was the aspirations of the citizens. Various factions joined forces with the belief that uniting the desire for democracy would lead to a strong performance. Politicians Kim Dae-jung (DJ) and Kim Young-sam (YS), regarded as monumental figures in Korean politics, joined forces.

The DJ faction, known as the Donggyodong faction, and the YS faction, known as the Sangdodong faction, became the main drivers of Shinmindang’s surge. At that time, illegal and unlawful practices, as well as government-influenced elections, were rampant. In a situation where fair competition was questionable, it was difficult for the opposition to perform well against the ruling party.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Shinmindang entered the election by uniting the public’s desire for a ‘direct presidential election’ where the president is chosen by the people’s hands, and the public’s wish for change in an era where democracy and human rights were suppressed.

The Shinmindang surge was so powerful that it shook the foundation of the ruling Democratic Justice Party. The proof is the voter turnout. The voter turnout for the February 12, 1985 general election reached an astonishing 84.3%. Considering that it was difficult to exceed 60% turnout in various general elections held after the 2000s, this was an incredible figure. In fact, the voter turnout for the 18th general election held shortly after President Lee Myung-bak’s inauguration in 2008 was only 46.1%.

What brought citizens to the polling stations? With more than 8 out of 10 voters turning out, the power of a pivotal election was diminished. This means it became difficult for anyone to alter the election results reflecting the public will through their influence.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At that time, the constituency election results were as follows out of a total of 184 seats: Democratic Justice Party 87 seats, Shinmindang 50 seats, Democratic Korea Party 26 seats, and Korean National Party 15 seats. Although the Democratic Justice Party maintained its position as the first party, the actual result was tantamount to defeat.

The February 12, 1985 general election produced results unimaginable in today’s political landscape. Shinhan Party (Shinmindang) either competed closely with or surpassed the Democratic Justice Party in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, and Gwangju.

Out of 28 constituencies in Seoul, 14 were won by Shinmindang and 13 by Democratic Justice Party candidates. In Busan, Shinmindang secured 6 out of 12 constituencies, while the Democratic Justice Party won 3. Those elected in Seoul under Shinmindang included Lee Min-woo, Noh Seung-hwan, Park Yong-man, Song Won-young, Lee Cheol, Cho Soon-hyung, Kim Jae-kwang, Kim Young-bae, Cho Yeon-ha, Park Han-sang, Park Sil, Lim Cheol-soon, Kim Su-han, Kim Hyung-rae, and Kim Dong-gyu.

Kim Su-han later became the Speaker of the National Assembly. Cho Soon-hyung was famously known as ‘Mr. Bitter Words,’ and Noh Seung-hwan is the father of Noh Woong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Yeouido National Assembly Building, Seoul / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The individuals elected in Busan under Shinmindang were Park Chan-jong, Seo Seok-jae, Kim Jeong-su, Park Kwan-yong, Lee Ki-taek, and Moon Jeong-su. They later grew into major figures in Korean politics. Park Chan-jong was a presidential candidate. Park Kwan-yong later became the Speaker of the National Assembly. Moon Jeong-su served as the Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City.

The main figures of the 1985 Shinmindang surge became historic protagonists in Korean political history, but during the 1987 presidential election process, they split into the DJ and YS camps and followed different political paths. In 1988, Shinmindang was eventually dissolved and disappeared into history.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.