National Assembly of South Korea

The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (Gukhoe in Korean language) is a 299-member^[2] unicameral legislature. The latest general elections were held on April 9, 2008. Single-member constituencies comprise 245 of the National Assembly's seats, while the remaining 54 are allocated by proportional representation.^[3] Members serve four-year terms.

The unicameral National Assembly consists of at least 200 members according to the Constitution. In 1990 the National Assembly had 299 seats, 224 of which were directly elected from single-member districts in the general elections of April 1988. Under applicable laws, the remaining seventy-five representatives were appointed by the political parties in accordance with a proportional formula based on the number of seats won in the election. By law, candidates for election to the National Assembly must be at least thirty years of age. As part of a political compromise in 1987, an earlier requirement that candidates have at least five years' continuous residency in the country was dropped to allow Kim Dae Jung, who had spent several years in exile in Japan and the United States during the 1980s, to return to political life. The National Assembly's term is four years. In a change from the more authoritarian Fourth Republic and Fifth Republic (1972–80 and 1980–87, respectively), under the Sixth Republic, the National Assembly cannot be dissolved by the president.

Current composition

Legislative violence

From 2004 to 2009, South Korea's National Assembly gained notoriety^[4] as a frequent site for legislative violence. The Assembly first came to the world's attention during a violent dispute on impeachment proceedings for then President Roh Moo-hyun,^[5][6] when open physical combat took place in the Assembly. Since then, the Assembly has been interrupted by periodic conflagrations, piquing the world's curiosity once again in 2009 when Assembly members battled each other with sledgehammers and fire extinguishers.^{[7][8][9][10]} Images of the melee were broadcast around the world.

History

First Republic

Elections for the National Assembly were held under UN supervision^[11] on 10 May 1948. The First Republic of South Korea was established on 17 July 1948^[12] when the constitution of the First Republic was established by the Assembly. The Assembly also had the job of electing the President, and elected anti-communist Syngman Rhee as President on 10 May 1948.

Second Republic

Third Republic

Fourth Republic

Fifth Republic

Sixth Republic

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• National Assembly
• Senate
• House of Commons

References

• U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies

1. ^ Park takes office as Assembly speaker - Daum 미디어다음
2. ^ Article 21, Clause 1 of the Election Law
3. ^ A Look at Election Through Numbers, Korea Times, 2008-04-09.
4. ^ World's Most Unruly Parliaments
5. ^ South Korean President Impeached
6. ^ Impeachment battle
7. ^ Democracy, South Korean-style: MPs blasted with fire extinguishers after trying to break into Parliament with hoses and sledgehammers
8. ^ South Korea lawmakers: Reaching across the aisle with a sledgehammer
9. ^ South Korean politicians use fire extinguishers against opposition
10. ^ Hall of Violence
11. ^ Setting the Stage
12. ^ ICL - South Korea Index