South Korean presidential election, 1997

Republic of Korea
presidential election, 1997

← 1992 19 December 1997 2002 →
NPP Nominee Kim Dae-jung Lee Hoi-chang Lee In-je Party National Congress Grand National New People Popular vote 10,326,275 9,935,718 4,925,591 Percentage 40.3% 38.7% 19.2%
provinces and cities majority won by ■ – Kim Dae-jung ■ – Lee Hoi-chang
President before election Kim Young-sam Grand National Elected President Kim Dae-jung National Congress

■ – Kim Dae-jung

Kim Young-sam
Grand National

Kim Dae-jung
National Congress

The 15th South Korean Presidential Election took place on 19 December 1997. The opposition presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung won the presidential election, ending almost 36 years of conservative rule. Kim became the first opposition candidate to win the presidency. When he took office in 1998, it also marked the first time in Korean history that an incumbent government peacefully surrendered power to the opposition.