North Korean parliamentary election, 1948
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held for the first Supreme People's Assembly
in North Korea
on 25 August 1948. 572 deputies were elected, of which 360 were reserved for representatives of South Korea
. The North Korean government claimed that 77.8% of South Korean voters had taken part in underground elections to elect 1,000 delegates who would elect the 360 South Korean members of the SPA.
Only one candidate was presented in each constituency, all of which were selected by the Workers' Party of Korea
, although some ran under the banner of other parties or state organisations to give an appearance of democracy. Voter turnout was reported to be 100%, with 98.5% voting in favour of the candidates presented.
Its first session was held in September 2-10, with two main declarations: "Statement on the Transfer of Power" and "The Political Program of the Government of the DPRK
".
The first general election in South Korea
had taken place three months earlier.
Supreme People's Assembly
The Supreme People's Assembly is the unicameral parliament of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea...
in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
on 25 August 1948. 572 deputies were elected, of which 360 were reserved for representatives of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The North Korean government claimed that 77.8% of South Korean voters had taken part in underground elections to elect 1,000 delegates who would elect the 360 South Korean members of the SPA.
Only one candidate was presented in each constituency, all of which were selected by the Workers' Party of Korea
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party...
, although some ran under the banner of other parties or state organisations to give an appearance of democracy. Voter turnout was reported to be 100%, with 98.5% voting in favour of the candidates presented.
Its first session was held in September 2-10, with two main declarations: "Statement on the Transfer of Power" and "The Political Program of the Government of the DPRK
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
".
The first general election in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
had taken place three months earlier.
Distribution of seats
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Workers' Party of Korea Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling Communist party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , commonly known as North Korea. It is also called the Korean Workers' Party... |
157 |
| Chondoist Chongu Party Chondoist Chongu Party The Chondoist Chongu Party is a united front party in North Korea and is labeled as democratic by the government of the country. The party was founded on February 5, 1946, by a group of followers of the Chondogyo religion... |
35 |
| KDP | 35 |
| Democratic Independent Party | 20 |
| Dongro People's Party | 20 |
| People's Republic Party | 20 |
| Other parties | 171 |
| Independents | 114 |
| Total | 572 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | |