South Korean legislative election, 2008

South Korean legislative election, 2008

2004 ← 9 April 2008 → 2012

All 299 seats to the National Assembly of South Korea 150 seats needed for a majority Turnout 46.0%   Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Kang Jae-seop Son Hak-gyu Lee Hoi-chang Party Grand National United Democratic Liberty Forward Leader since 11 July 2006 17 February 2008 1 February 2008 Leader's seat Seo-gu (Daegu) Jongno-gu (Seoul) (lost seat) Hongseong Last election 121 seats, 35.8% 161 seats, 45.4% None Seats won 153 81 18 Seat change 32 80 18 Popular vote 6,421,654 4,313,111 1,173,463 Percentage 37.4% 25.1% 6.8% Swing 1.6% 20.3% 0.0%

legislative districts majority ■ - GNP ■ - UDP ■ – LFP ■ – Pro-Park ■ - DLP ■ - CKP ■ - Independent factions

Prime Minister before election Han Seung-soo Grand National Prime Minister-designate Han Seung-soo Grand National

South Korea

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of South Korea

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Legislative elections were held in South Korea on April 9, 2008. The conservative Grand National Party won 153 of 299 seats while the main opposition United Democratic Party won 81 seats. This election marked the lowest-ever voter turnout of 46.0%.

Parties and Coalitions

As of April 9, 2008, there are six political parties represented in the 18th National Assembly of South Korea, in addition to independents:

• Grand National Party (한나라당, Hannara-dang), led by Kang Jae-seop. The current major conservative party within the National Assembly. (153 seats won)

• United Democratic Party (통합민주당, Tongham Minju-dang), led by Son Hak-gyu. The current major liberal party within the National Assembly. (81 seats won)
  • United Democratic Party is now known as Democratic Party (민주당 Minju-dang).

• Liberty Forward Party (자유선진당, Jayu Seonjin-dang), led by Lee Hoi-chang. The Chungcheong Region-strongholder and current second conservative party within the National Assembly against the GNP. (18 seats won)

• Pro-Park Geun-hye Coalition (친박연대, Chin-bak Yeon-dae), led by Seo Cheong-won, although their inspirational leader is former GNP leader Park Geun-hye. A conservative coalition with Park Geun-hye within the National Assembly that broke away from the GNP after a dispute on the GNP's candidate nomination, which happened just before the election. (14 seats won)

• Democratic Labour Party (민주노동당, Minju Nodong-dang), led by Chun Young-se. A minor but the most progressive party within the 18th National Assembly, against both the Grand Nationals and Democrats. (5 seats won)

• Renewal of Korea Party (창조한국당, Changjo Hanguk-dang), led by Moon Kook-hyun. A minor but pro-environmental liberal party within the National Assembly, against the Grand Nationals. (3 seats won)

• (no seats) The New Progressive Party (진보신당) Jinbo Shin-dang), led by Sim Sang-jeong and Roh Hoe-chan, won 2.94% votes but not enough to gain any seats. The New Progressive Party split from the Democratic Labour Party as a reaction to nationalism after the 2007 presidential elections.

Results

↓
5	81	3	25	18	14	153
D L P	United Democratic Party	C K P	Ind.	L F P	Pro Park	Grand National Party

The national summary of votes and seats by party follow:

 Summary of the 9 April 2008 South Korean National Assembly election results

Ideology and parties		Local seats	+/−	Block seats	+/−	Votes	%	PR block votes	%	Total seats	+/-
	Grand National Party (GNP) Hannara-dang – 한나라당	131	+31	22	+1	7,478,776	43.45&	6,421,727	37.48%	153	+32
	Liberty Forward Party (LFP) Jayu Seonjin-dang – 자유선진당	14	+14	4	+4	984,751	5.72%	1,173,463	6.84%	18	+18
	Pro-Park Coalition1 Chin-bak Yeon-dae – 친박연대	6	+6	8	+8	637,351	3.70%	2,258,750	13.18	14	+14
	Conservative	151	+51	34	+13	9,100,879	52.87%	9,853,940	57.50%	185	+64
	United Democratic Party2 (UDP) Daetonghap Minju-sindang – 통합민주당	66	+66	15	+15	4,977,508	28.92%	4,313,645	25.17%	81	+81
	Creative Korea Party (CKP) Changjo Hanguk-dang – 창조한국당	1	+1	2	+2	72,803	0.42%	651,993	3.80%	3	+3
	Liberal	67	+67	17	+17	5,050,311	29.34%	7,965,638	27.28%	84	+84
	Democratic Labor Party (DLP) Minju Nodong-dang – 민주노동당	2	±0	4	-4	583,665	3.39%	973,445	5.68%	5	-5
	New Progressive Party (NPP) Jinbo Shin-dang – 진보신당	0	±0	0	±0	229,500	1.33%	504,466	2.94%	0	±0
	Progressive	2	±0	4	-4	813,165	4.72	1477911	8.62	5	-5
	Other parties	0	±0	0	±0	341,010	1.98	834,048	4.83	0	±0
	Independents	25	+23	—	—	1,907,326	11.08	—	—	25	+23
Total (turnout 46.0%)		245	—	54	—	17,212,690	100.0%	17,131,537	100.0%	299	—

¹Later changed to Future Hope Alliance.
²Later changed to Democratic Party.

Election results (Total)

Seats prior to the election

Result by region

Region	GNP	UDP	LFP	PGH-C	DLP	ROKP	Independent	Total
Seoul	40	7	-	-	-	1	-	48
Busan	11	1	-	1	-	-	5	18
Incheon	9	2	-	-	-	-	1	12
Daegu	8	-	-	3	-	-	1	12
Gwangju	-	7	-	-	-	-	1	8
Daejeon	-	1	5	-	-	-	-	6
Ulsan	5	-	-	-	-	-	1	6
Gangwon-do	3	2	-	-	-	-	3	8
Gyeonggi-do	32	17	-	1	-	-	1	51
South Gyeongsang	13	1	-	-	2	-	1	17
North Gyeongsang	9	-	-	1	-	-	5	15
South Jeolla	-	9	-	-	-	-	3	12
North Jeolla	-	9	-	-	-	-	2	11
South Chungcheong	-	1	8	-	-	-	1	10
North Chungcheong	1	6	1	-	-	-	-	8
Jeju	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	3
Proportional representation	22	15	4	8	3	2	-	54
Total	153	81	18	14	5	3	25	299