Presidential Candidate Rhee, Syng-man’s Registration Paper
Election Speech by the Democratic Party (February 7, 1960) – Jangchungdan Park
Letter of Entrustment – Election Promotion Commission Member of the Liberal Party
Survey on Voter Tendencies – Liberal Party, and Letter of Appointment
Liberal Party Vice Commissioner of Seosan-gun Gab Constituency
Campaign Posters of Candidates for the 4th Presidential and 5th Vice Presidential Elections
Memorial Board for Cho, Byung-ok and Shin, Ik-hee
Article on Candidate Registration by Rhee, Syng-man and Lee, Gi-boong
Appeal Letter for Support of Vice Presidential Candidate Lee, Gi-boong
Classifying the Postal Absentee Votes
Ballot Counting for the 4th Presidential and 5th Vice Presidential Elections
Tabulation Process for the 4th Presidential and 5th Vice Presidential Elections
March 15, 1960 (Tue.) The 4th Presidential and 5th Vice Presidential Elections
The 4th presidential and 5th Vice presidential elections held on March 15, 1960 have been called the ”March 15 Rigged Election” and remembered as one of the worst election scandals in Korean history. During the 4th presidential election, Rhee, Syng-man from the Liberal Party and Cho, Byung-ok from the Democratic Party ran for candidacy, leading to a confrontation between the ruling party and a single opposition counterpart. But on February 25, 1960, Candidate Cho, Byung-ok died on the way home from Hawaii where he had received a medical treatment. As a result, Rhee syng-man became a single candidate and was eventually elected as the 4th president, winning 88.7% of votes.
Meanwhile, four people including Lee, Gi-boong from the Liberal Party, Jang, Myun from the Democratic Party, Kim, Joon-yeon from the Unification Party and Yim, Young-shin from the Women National Party ran for the 5th vice presidency. Lee, Gi-boong and Jang, Myun were the main rivals and Lee, Gi-boong was elected as vice president winning 79% of valid votes. However, various kinds of vote rigging such as rigging 40% of votes before voting began and organizing group voting and switching ballot boxes were done, prompting the ”April 19 Civil Revolution.” The April Revolution, in the end, caused President Rhee’s resignation and collective suicide of the Lee, Gi-boong family. Finally, the First Republic of Korea came to an end.
※Photo Source: University of Seoul Museum
