Analysis of the 16th Paliamentary Election in Korea Especially Including the Chungbuk Province

Abstract

No theory can explain regionalism, party choice, candidate personality, policy and money with one unified frame in the 16th parliamentary election in Korea 2000. Party choice of constituents is correlated with regionalism, which could be well understood in either emotional or rational theory because they vote in their own subjective rational judgement. They may select their preferable party based on emotional subjective regionalism or perceived on unequal disadvantaged regionalism. So regionalism in Korea could be explained in both cognitive psychological theory and rational choice theory. The candidate personality seems to prevail more in the Korean parliamentary election than party. If so then, the independent candidates should be elected but in fact they are a few only. Policy that a candidate or a party presented in the election has not enough influence upon win or defeat. It may be interpreted as much money demand for winning during informal or formal campaigning that campaign money is related with winning significantly. One noticeable achievement of elections is the successful civic campaign to boycott unfit politicians, even though the campaign has been ruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.