March 1960 South Korean presidential election

March 1960 South Korean presidential election

← 1956 15 March 1960 August 1960 →

Presidential election

Candidate Syngman Rhee Party Liberal Popular vote 9,633,376 Percentage 100%

President before election Syngman Rhee Liberal Elected President Syngman Rhee Liberal

Vice-Presidential election

Candidate Lee Ki Poong Chang Myon Party Liberal Democratic Popular vote 8,337,059 1,843,758 Percentage 79.19% 17.51%

Vice-President before election Chang Myon Democratic Elected Vice-President Lee Ki-poong Liberal

Presidential and vice-presidential elections were held in South Korea on 15 March 1960.^[1] Shortly after winning reelection to a second term in the 1952 presidential election, Rhee had the legislature pass a constitutional amendment exempting himself from the two-term limit, allowing himself to run for and win a third term in 1956 and in March 1960.

After the death of Democratic Party opponent Cho Pyong-ok, Rhee was left as the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed.^[2] Voter turnout was 97.0%.^[3] With the lack of a meaningful contest in the presidential race, popular focus shifted to the vice-presidential contest where Rhee's Liberal Party candidate Lee Ki-poong competed against Chang Myon. The elections were heavily rigged in Lee's favor, and widespread allegations of corruption and manipulation of the results sparked protests which spiralled into the April Revolution, causing the annulment of the election, the resignation and exile of Rhee, and the collapse of the First Republic. The election is described by the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture as the "March 15 Election Fraud."^[4]