1992 South Korean presidential election

1992 South Korean presidential election

← 1987 18 December 1992 1997 →
Turnout	81.9% (7.3)
Nominee Kim Young-sam Kim Dae-jung Chung Ju-yung Party Democratic Liberal Democratic Unification National Popular vote 9,977,332 8,041,284 3,880,067 Percentage 42.0% 33.8% 16.3%
Results by provincial-level divisions
President before election Roh Tae-woo Independent Elected President Kim Young-sam Democratic Liberal

Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 18 December 1992, the second democratic presidential elections since the end of military rule in 1987. Voter turnout was 81.9%.^[1]

As of 2021, this remains the most recent South Korean presidential election in which all three major presidential candidates are deceased.

Background[]

On 22 January 1990, two opposition leaders Kim Young-Sam and Kim Jong-Pil led their parties to merge into the ruling party Democratic Justice Party, and formed the Democratic Liberal Party, led by President Roh Tae-woo. Before they merged, Roh's party did not have a majority in the National Assembly. After they merged, they had over a two-thirds majority, which could pass bills without any obstruction from the opposition.

Kim Dae-Jung, an opponent in the 1987 election who finished third behind Kim Young-sam and Roh Tae-woo ran again in 1992.

In 1992, Hyundai businessman Chung Ju-yung also ran in the election.

Nominations[]

Democratic Liberal Party[]

The Democratic Liberal Party national convention was held on 19 May at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena. Nine-term lawmaker from Busan Kim Young-sam won the nomination, defeating four-term lawmaker from Seoul Lee Jong-chan, who did not concede and ran as a third party candidate. Lee Jong-chan withdrew his campaign and endorsed RNP nominee Chung Ju-yung in December.^[2]

Democratic Party[]

The Democratic National Convention was held from 25 to 26 May at the Olympic Fencing Gymnasium. At the convention, Kim Dae-jung, 6-term lawmaker from South Jeolla, defeated Lee Ki-taek, 7-term lawmaker from Busan, and won the nomination.

Of 2,426 delegates present at the convention, 1,443 had been from Kim's faction and only 983 from Lee's, so Kim was thought as the presumptive nominee even before the convention began.^[3]

Unification National Party[]

At the UNP National Convention held on 15 May at the KOEX in Seoul, Chung Ju-yung was nominated for president by a yay-nay rising vote.^[4]

Results[]

The right-wing conservative Democratic Liberal Party presidential candidate Kim Young-Sam won the presidential election, defeating opposition Democratic Party leader Kim Dae-Jung, marking the third time he had lost a presidential election. Kim later announced his retirement from politics.

The conservative ruling party won the election continued to govern until 1997 when Kim Dae-Jung won the next presidential election.

By region[]

provinces · cities
	Kim Young-sam DLP		Kim Dae-jung DP		Chung Ju-yung RNP
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
Seoul	2,167,298	36.4%	2,246,326	37.7%	1,070,629	18.0%
Busan	1,551,473	73.3%	265,055	12.5%	133,907	6.3%
Daegu	690,245	59.6%	90,641	7.8%	224,642	19.4%
Incheon	397,361	37.3%	338,538	31.7%	228,505	21.4%
Gwangju	14,504	2.1%	652,337	95.8%	8,085	1.2%
Daejeon	202,137	35.2%	165,067	28.7%	133,646	23.3%
Gyeonggi	1,254,025	36.3%	1,103,498	32.0%	798,356	23.1%
Gangwon	340,528	41.5%	127,265	15.5%	279,610	34.1%
Chungcheongbuk	281,678	38.3%	191,743	26.0%	175,767	23.4%
Chungcheongnam	351,789	36.9%	271,921	28.5%	240,400	25.2%
Jeollabuk	63,175	5.7%	991,483	89.1%	35,923	3.2%
Jeollanam	53,360	4.2%	1,170,398	92.2%	26,686	2.1%
Gyeongsangbuk	991,424	64.7%	147,440	9.6%	240,646	15.7%
Gyeongsangnam	1,514,043	72.3%	193,373	9.2%	241,135	11.5%
Jeju	104,292	40.0%	85,889	32.9%	42,130	16.1%

References[]