Democratic Party (South Korea, 1991)
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Democratic Party 민주당 民主黨 | |
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| Abbreviation | DP |
| President | Kim Dae-jung (1991–1992) |
| Founded | 16 September 1991 |
| Dissolved | 21 December 1995 |
| Merger of | |
| Merged into | National Congress for New Politics United Democratic |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre to centre-left |
| Colours | |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Liberalism in South Korea |
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The Democratic Party (Korean: 민주당; Hanja: 民主黨; RR: Minjudang; DP) was a political party of South Korea from 1991 to 1995.
The party was formed by the merger of New Democratic Unionist Party (NDUP) of Kim Dae-jung, and Democratic Party of Lee Ki-taek (aka Little Democrats), as a part of the opposition union. During that time, NDUP, the main opposition, faced a difficulties after they lost in 1991 local elections. Little Democratic Party, a splinter group formed by the dissidents of Kim Young-sam's United Democratic Party, was struggling with its few seats.
On 16 September 1991, both parties declared to be combined and re-founded as Democratic Party.[1] Both Kim Dae-jung (DJ; Chairman of NDUP) and Lee Ki-taek (KT; Chairman of Little Democrats), was elected as the Co-Presidents of the new party.[1]
Prior to the presidential election in 1992, DJ defeated Lee and elected as the party's presidential candidate. He was widely criticised for calling rural voters as "pro-Democratic Liberal Party (DLP; the then ruling party)" and/or "pro-Roh Tae-woo",[2] and lost to DLP's Kim Young-sam. DJ subsequently resigned his party presidency and retired from the politics.[3] KT then solely elected as the new president on 11 March 1993.[4]
The party then absorbed New Korea Party of Lee Jong-chan in the early 1995,[5] and won the local elections in 1995.[6] However, shortly after, DJ officially returned to politics, and conflicts were sparked.[7] The party's pro-DJ factions, not excluding DJ himself, left and founded a new party, named National Congress for New Politics (NCNP).[8] On 21 December, the party merged with New Party for Reform, and re-built as United Democratic Party, who then became one of the predecessor of the incumbent Liberty Korea Party.
