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Democratic Justice Party
민주정의당
民主正義黨
LeaderRoh Tae-woo (1985–1990)
FounderChun Doo-hwan
Founded15 January 1981 (1981-01-15)
Dissolved22 January 1990 (1990-01-22)
Merged intoDemocratic Liberal Party
HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
Ideology
Political position
National affiliationHanahoe
Colours
  •   Sky blue
  • Before 1987:
  •   Dark blue
Party flag
Democratic Justice Party
Hangul
민주정의당
Hanja
民主正義黨
Revised RomanizationMinjujeonguidang
McCune–ReischauerMinjuchŏngŭidang
DJP
Hangul
민정당
Hanja
民正黨
Revised RomanizationMinjeongdang
McCune–ReischauerMinjŏngdang
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The Democratic Justice Party (Korean: 민주정의당; Hanja: 民主正義黨; RR: Minjujeonguidang; MR: Minjuchŏngŭidang; DJP) was the ruling party of South Korea from 1981 to 1988.

History

Chun had become the country's de facto leader after leading a military coup in December 1979, and was elected president in his own right in August 1980. Two months after taking office, he abolished all political parties, including Park Chung Hee's Democratic Republican Party, which had ruled the country since 1963, and with few viable constraints on its power since Park's self-coup of 1971. A new Constitution, which inaugurated the Fifth Republic, was enacted later in October.

The following January, Chun created the Democratic Justice Party, which garnered the support of most DRP lawmakers and politicians; for all intents and purposes it was the DRP under a new name. He was elected as the first president of the Fifth Republic in 1981. Although the DJP won large majorities at legislative elections in 1981 and 1985 and the system was heavily rigged in its favor, it had far less power than the DRP.

The 1980 Constitution limited the president to a single seven-year term, with no possibility of reelection. Chun announced his retirement in 1987, but resisted all calls to further open up the regime. The situation changed later in 1987, when DJP presidential candidate Roh Tae-woo promised that year's presidential election would be free and democratic. Roh became the first direct elected president under free and fair election in December 1987. In 1990, the DJP merged with Kim Young-Sam's Reunification Democratic Party and Kim Jong-pil's New Democratic Republican Party to form the Democratic Liberal Party.

Election results

President

Election Candidate Votes % Result
1981 Chun Doo-hwan 4,755 90.23 Elected
1987 Roh Tae-woo 8,282,738 36.64 Elected

Legislature

Election Leader Votes % Seats Position Status
Constituency Party list Total +/–
1981 Chun Doo-hwan 5,776,624 35.64
90 / 184
61 / 92
151 / 276
 new 1st Government
1985 7,040,811 35.25
87 / 184
61 / 92
148 / 276
 Decrease 3 Government
1988 Roh Tae-woo 6,675,494 33.96
87 / 224
38 / 75
125 / 299
 Decrease 23 Government

Notes

References

  1. ^ Kim, Youngmi (2011), The Politics of Coalition in Korea: Between institutions and culture, Routledge, p. 36
  2. ^ 韓國言論 100年史, 한국 언론인 연합회 (Federation of Korean Reporter) (until 1987), 2006, p. 176
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