222. Editorial Note
On May 2 National Assembly elections were held in the Republic of Korea. According to an assessment of the election prepared in the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs on June 4 on the basis of reports from the Embassy in Seoul, 8.9 million ballots were cast in the election, and 90.6 percent of the total eligible electorate voted. The Liberal Party increased its representation in the National Assembly from 131 to 137, but the largest gains were achieved by the opposition Democratic Party, which increased its representation in the Assembly from 46 to 79. The number of independents in the National Assembly decreased to 17. (Memorandum from Howard Parsons to Robertson, June 4, 1958; Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/6–458) See Supplement.
In despatch 13, July 11, the Embassy in Seoul offered the following assessment of the National Assembly elections:
“The conduct of the elections and performance of the two major parties in the May 2, 1958 elections for the National Assembly were a nigh-point in Korean politics. The conduct of the elections was considerably better than in the past, despite the Opposition’s increased complaints, which have been designed as much for political purposes as for expression of real grievances. Two major parties, as a result of the development of a strong two-party system, dominated the elections heavily and developed strong campaigns based on major issues, in a style approaching that of the more advanced democratic countries.” (Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/7–1158) See Supplement.