Elections in the Soviet-occupied North were announced at the fifth session of the People's Assembly of North Korea on 9 July 1948 as part of the preparations for the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. At the second conference of leaders of political parties and social organizations from North and South Korea held from 29 June to 5 July, it was decided that the elections should also be held in South Korea. A decision of the Election Guidance Committee determined that the 360 South Korean deputies would be elected indirectly, with South Korean voters electing people's delegates who would subsequently elect the South Korean deputies.[2]
In North Korea, registration of candidates took place until 5 August 1948, with 228 candidates registered in 212 electoral districts.[3] Among the 228 candidates were 212 candidates nominated by the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea and 16 other candidates recommended by voters at meetings.[3] The candidates from the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea consisted of 102 candidates from the Workers' Party of North Korea (one of precursor of the WPK), 35 candidates from the Democratic Party, 35 candidates from the Chondoist Chongu Party and 40 independent candidates.[4] There were 34 women among the 228 candidates.[3]
Source: Korean History Database, Monthly Chosun[4]
South Korea
The North Korean government claimed that 78% of eligible voters in South Korea took part in the election of 1,080 people's delegates.[2] The South Korean people's delegates subsequently met on 21–26 August in Northern Haeju, with 1,002 of the 1,080 elected representatives participating. They elected 360 deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly on the basis of one deputy per 50,000 South Koreans.[2]
^Nohlen, Dieter; Grotz, Florian; Hartmann, Christof, eds. (2001). Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-924959-8.
^Suh, Dae-Sook (1981). Korean Communism, 1945–1980: A Reference Guide to the Political System. Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii. pp. 393–400. ISBN978-0-8248-0740-5.
Further reading
Kim Il-sung (1980) [1948]. "Against the Elections of a Reactionary Separate Government in South Korea and for the Achievement of Korea's Reunification and Independence: Speech Made at the 25th Meeting of the Central Committee of the Democratic National United Front of North Korea, March 9, 1948". Kim Il Sung: Works. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. OCLC827642144.
