'Legendary Politician' Who Ran for General Election in Beatles Era and Became a Member of Parliament in Seo Taiji Era [Politics X File]

(35) The Hero of 8 Wins and 9 Losses, Politician Kim Du-seop
Started Running for Election in 1960 When The Beatles Debuted
Elected as Member of the National Assembly in 1992 When Seo Taiji Debuted

Editor's Note‘Political X-Files’ is a series that delivers ‘unprecedented stories’ recorded in the election results and incidents of Korean politics.

When talking about the biggest stars who shook the world of popular music in the 1960s, the British group ‘The Beatles’ is an indispensable subject. After forming the group in 1960, they moved countless music fans until their breakup in 1970.

‘Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let It Be….’

The songs left by The Beatles are still praised as some of the greatest masterpieces. Due to the passage of time, The Beatles are regarded as historical figures. Their activities in the 1960s can be indirectly confirmed through movies or documentaries. But how many people vividly remember The Beatles’ debut in 1960?

It’s unlikely for those in their mid-60s by Korean age, and you probably need to be in your early 70s or older to recall The Beatles’ debut era.

If The Beatles were the protagonists who shocked the world of popular music in the 1960s, then in Korea, there is Seo Taiji and Boys. When talking about Korean popular music in the 1990s, Seo Taiji cannot be left out.

Seo Taiji and Boys debuted in 1992 with ‘I Know’ and were praised as cultural presidents. After releasing the song ‘Regret of the Times’ in 1996, they effectively went through the process of disbandment. The shock of their breakup was as great as the shock of their debut.

There is a politician who has a unique connection with these famous musicians, The Beatles and Seo Taiji. While The Beatles debuted, this politician was challenging a seat in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, but he only earned his first gold badge when Seo Taiji debuted.

In Yeouido’s political circles, those who know know, and those who don’t, don’t ? politician Kim Du-seop. Many politicians challenge the National Assembly and taste joy and frustration, but it is hard to find anyone with as rich(?) an experience of electoral defeat as Kim Du-seop.

[Photo by Seo Taiji Company]

Politician Kim Du-seop ran as a Democratic Party candidate in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, in the 5th general election in 1960 but lost with 11.1% of the vote. Could he have imagined that he would only realize his dream of becoming a National Assembly member in the 1990s, decades after his first election attempt coinciding with The Beatles’ debut?

Kim Du-seop continued to suffer the pain of consecutive defeats whenever he ran. From the Democratic Justice Party, the National Party, the Democratic Unification Party, the New Korea Party, the Korean National Party, to the New Democratic Republican Party, he challenged eight general elections in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s but lost all of them.

Kim Du-seop is etched in Korean political history as the protagonist of the ‘8 attempts, 9th time’s the charm’ myth. Running as a New Democratic Republican Party candidate in the 1988 general election in Gimpo and Ganghwa County, Gyeonggi Province, he performed well with 39.6% of the vote, and in the 14th general election in 1992, he finally became the owner of the coveted gold badge.

At that time, Kim Du-seop ran as a candidate of the Unification National Party in Gimpo and Ganghwa County, Gyeonggi Province, winning with 35.1% of the vote. He competed in a three-way race with candidates from the Democratic Liberal Party and the Democratic Party, with all three candidates receiving around 30% of the vote, making it a close contest.

Kim Du-seop received 32,218 votes, while Democratic Liberal Party candidate Jeong Hae-nam received 32,112 votes. The victory margin was just over 100 votes. Kim Du-seop recorded over 50% of the vote in Gimpo County but struggled with only about 15% in Ganghwa County.

National Assembly Member Badge. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

However, the combined result made him the winner by a narrow margin of about 100 votes. It was a dramatic victory completed 32 years after his first election attempt in 1960.

Kim Du-seop was born in March 1930. Although he finally achieved his dream of becoming a National Assembly member in 1992, he continued to suffer defeats after 1996. From 1996 to 2012, he ran in five general elections and was consecutively defeated.

Judging by his experience of defeat alone, he created a history that rivals any politician in South Korea. Despite having an electoral defeat record that could be counted on ten fingers and still not be enough, he is a legitimate former National Assembly member.

The experience of being elected in the 14th general election in 1992 gave him the title of a politician who served as a National Assembly member.