People’s Victory 21: Final Report on the Elections

People’s victory 21 for democracy and progress, 19 December 1997

Kwon YoungGhil got 1.2% of all the voters.

On Dec. 18, according to the results of presidential election, Kwon YoungGhil got 306,037 votes among all the voters of 32,290,416, the rate of getting votes is 1.2%. This time is the third trial of participating in presidential election in terms of Korean progressive forces. The first one was 1987, when Baik Ghi Wan ran a candidate, who gave up in the middle of election campaign. The second was 1992, when he also ran a candidate, who got 1%. Every Korean progressive forces such as KCTU, NADUK etc gathered for this presidential election campaign according to his own organizational decision. The results are to organize 220 branches all over the country, to make a issue of Chaebol’s dismantlement, opposing mass dismissal, and to propose concrete alternative policies for workers’ and the people’s living standard. In WoolSan and ChangWon where massive workers are gathering, Kwon Young Ghil got 17.0%, 9.7%, 4% every spot. It confirmed that many workers supported Kwon, but workers’ support couldn’t spread to all the people over the country. In the future, People’s Victory21 and all the Korean progressive forces will overcome these weaks.

Kwol YoungGhil’s rates of getting votes in each region

Number of all the electors 32,290,416

Number of all the voters 26,041,889 (voting rate 80.6%)

region getting votes	voters getting votes	amount of	rate of getting	ranking
Seoul	5,930,504	65,663	1.1	4
Pusan	2,124,011	25,581	1.2	4
Daegu	1,347,015	16,258	1.2	4
Inchon	1,311,513	20,340	1.6	4
KwangJu	783,025	1,478	0.2	4
DaeJun	692,831	8,444	1.2	4
Woolsan	530,459	32,145	6.1	4
Kyunggi	4,600,128	47,608	1.0	4
KangWon	846,596	8,235	1.0	4
the North of Chungchung	805,500	10,232	1.3	4
the south of Chungchung	1,023,990	9,604	1.0	4
the North of Chunla province	1,190,194	4,189	0.4	5
the South of Chula province	1,325,733	2,199	0.2	6
the North of KyungSang	1,574,464	22,382	1.5	4
the south of KyungSang	1,681,586	27,823	1.7	4
CheJu island	278,999	3,856	1.4	4

The statement of the People’s victory 21 about the result of the presidential election

For a new start

Finally the 15th presidential election came to an end.

To begin with, we congratulate winner, Kim Dae-jung on the change of regime he achieved after 40 years’ political hardships and efforts. He was not only a leader of anti-dictatorship and democratization movement, but also a comrade of distinguished men out of office, so his election is a significantly meaningful event.

But there is very sad fact that no one is a perfect winner in the presidential election. Economy of the country is almost in ’national bancrupcy’ that is because of the inability and corruption of politicians and indiscriminate management of Chabols. (conglomerates in South Korea). This made the people suffering from huge unemployment, high price of goods and difficulties of living.

That is the reason that we want to request the new president Kim Dae-jung followings. The winning of Kim Dae-jung is fruit of the people’s desire-the change of regime. The change of regime should be real and complete one so that we could find the meaning from it. We already experienced that so-called ’civil regime’ turned out to be worse one than military dictatorship because it didn’t fill the role of itself. The new president would be evaluated the same, if they don’t do democratic reform in the next administration within limits of DJT association. Therefore, we demand that the new president should open his mind to the desperate voices of the people and critical arguments of ex-comrades from progressive groups and civil society movement forces, who were struggling for democratization movement with the new president in the past.

The election has considerably progressive aspects compared with past ones which were very based on government authority and money power. However regional antagonism, biased report of the press, unfaird TV discussion and some articles which prevent new political forces from emerging are problems to solve.

We are self-confident that we did our best in such a difficult condition. We admit the outcome of the presidential election. We will make and endless effort to keep the promise we made with the people during the presidential election. The presidential election has the meaning of new start to us, People’s victory 21 which are preparing for alternative progressive politics in 21th century. We are deeply thankful to all of you who supported People’s victory21 so far.

December 19. 1997
People’s victory 21 for democracy and progress.
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