South Korean legislative election, 1996

← 1992

11 April 1996

2000 →

All 299 seats to the National Assembly of South Korea
150 seats needed for a majority

Turnout

63.9%

	Majority party	Minority party	Third party

Leader	Kim Young-sam	Kim Dae-jung	Kim Jong-pil
Party	New Korea	National Congress	ULD
Leader since	28 August 1992 (DLP) 6 December 1995	5 September 1995	21 March 1995
Leader's seat	not contesting (President)	PR List 14 (lost seat)	Buyeo
Last election	149 seats, 38.5%(DLP)	97 seats, 29.2%(DP)	none
Seats before	165	65	25
Seats won	139	79	50
Seat change	26	14	25
Popular vote	6,783,730	4,971,961	3,178,474
Percentage	34,5%	25.3%	16.2

Parliamentary elections were held in South Korea on 12 April 1996. The result was a victory for the New Korea Party, which won 139 of the 299 seats in the National Assembly. Voter turnout was 63.9%. Even though the New Korea Party remained as the largest party in the National Assembly, it lost the majority.

The governing New Korea Party (formally the Democratic Liberal Party) of President Kim Young-sam, lost its absolute parliamentary majority. The election was held three years into President Kim's five year mandate.

The opposition National Congress for New Politics was formed by veteran opposition leader Kim Dae-jung and his supporters in the Democratic Party. Kim had retired from politics following his loss in the 1992 Presidential election but formed the new party after his return in 1995.

The right-wing United Liberal Democrats was led by former Prime Minister of South Korea Kim Jong-pil, a former ally of President Kim. He had been a member of the former ruling Democratic Liberal Party but broke with it after Kim's victory in 1992. It joined with Kim Dae Jung's opposition and formed coalition.

The minor Democratic Party had once been the premier opposition party. It supported Kim Dae-jung's unsuccessful Presidential campaign in 1992 and was the largest opposition party in the outgoing National Assembly. However, following the defection of Kim and his supporters, the party was reduced to a minor force. It later merged to Kim's party.

21st Century Korean Independence Party(21세기한독당) was the shortest-lived party(only 20 days) in South Korean history, which registered in March 25 of 1996, and dissolved in April 13 of same year.

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