[Politics, That Day...] The Starting Point of the 'Gongnyong Party' Extinction, The 1st Seoul Mayor Election

1995 1st Local Election, Minjadang Falls to 3rd Place in Seoul... Election Defeat Shockwave, Minjadang Fades into History

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jung-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures that deserve attention.

On the 15th, the ballot boxes arrived at the counting center set up at the Multipurpose Badminton Gymnasium in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where the 21st National Assembly elections were held. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Democratic Liberal Party (Minjadang), born from the ‘Three-Party Merger’ in 1990, was a giant party in Korean political history. Although the seats were gained through the merger, no single party before or after Minjadang has ever surpassed 200 seats. The early 1990s were the era of Minjadang.

At that time, the opposition struggled against the massive ruling party. Former President Kim Dae-jung (DJ) was the leader of the opposition then, but the political environment was harsh. The Three-Party Merger was essentially a political strategy to isolate DJ.

The 14th general election and the 14th presidential election in 1992 ended in victory for Minjadang. In December 1992, DJ watched the victory of his lifelong political rival Kim Young-sam (YS), the Minjadang candidate, and announced his withdrawal. The day after losing the presidential election, DJ declared his ‘retirement from politics,’ shocking the Yeouido political circle.

The first nationwide simultaneous local elections on June 27, 1995, marked a turning point in Korean political history. It was an election that would decide whether Minjadang’s absolute stronghold would continue or if it would be the starting point of major change. It was the first nationwide election where governors of 15 cities and provinces, including Seoul and Busan, were elected simultaneously by the people.

Today, it is taken for granted that Seoul citizens elect the mayor of Seoul, but before 1995, it was commonly perceived that the president appointed the Seoul mayor. The president’s authority was much stronger than it is now.

Among the 15 governor elections nationwide, the most attention was on the ‘heart of politics,’ the Seoul mayoral election. Interestingly, Minjadang, which boasted the power of 200 seats, struggled in the Seoul mayoral race.

They were not only unable to win but were even threatened for second place. The Seoul mayoral election in the first nationwide local elections was a three-way contest. The main candidates were Cho Soon of the Democratic Party, Jung Won-sik of Minjadang, and independent Park Chan-jong. Although nine candidates ran, the other six candidates received only negligible votes below 2%.

The Democratic Party’s top priority was to win the Seoul mayoral election, the key region of the first local elections. Minjadang vowed to perform well, leveraging its powerful party base, superior organizational strength, and ruling party premium. Despite being independent, Park Chan-jong was determined to catch a ‘big fish’ by emphasizing his personal appeal.

The Seoul mayoral election was more than just choosing one mayor; it was the yardstick for victory or defeat in the first local elections and a matter of political pride. Before the election, independent Park Chan-jong showed strong momentum in Seoul.

Election experts cautiously predicted Park Chan-jong’s final lead. The Democratic Party was at risk of losing, and Minjadang feared falling to third place. The turning point that changed the trend of Park Chan-jong’s unilateral lead was the return of DJ (then Chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Asia-Pacific Foundation), who had been out of frontline politics.

When DJ came out to support Democratic Party candidate Cho Soon, grassroots public opinion shifted. Independents have to rely on ‘winds’ to win elections. The problem was that DJ brought a new wind. Cho Soon of the Democratic Party gained momentum, and the political landscape shook.

Minjadang failed to properly utilize its strengths such as organization and ruling party premium. The fact that Seoul was a Democratic Party stronghold was also a background to Jung Won-sik’s struggles.

The final vote shares were: Cho Soon (Democratic Party) 42.35%, Jung Won-sik (Minjadang) 20.67%, and Park Chan-jong (Independent) 33.51%. The election results were summarized as Cho Soon’s victory, Park Chan-jong’s strong performance, and Jung Won-sik’s difficulties.

Former Seoul Mayor Cho Soon.

Cho Soon dominated Jung Won-sik in all areas of Seoul, including Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa. It was a one-sided victory to the extent that he ranked first in every Seoul mayoral district. Park Chan-jong recorded a balanced vote share across Seoul, threatening Cho Soon in areas such as Seocho-gap, Gangdong-gap, Guro-gap, and Gangseo-eul.

The first nationwide simultaneous local elections in Korean politics saw Minjadang suffer a bitter defeat in the Seoul mayoral race, the focal point of attention. At that time, Minjadang was engulfed in shock. Seoul and Honam were defeated by the Democratic Party, Chungcheong by the United Liberal Democrats (Jaminryun), Gangwon also lost the governorship to Jaminryun, and Daegu was won by an independent candidate.

The 1995 first local elections were the last elections held under the name Minjadang. Minjadang disappeared into history, leaving behind the pain of the election.

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