A constitutional referendum was held in
South Korea on 21 November 1972. President
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
had suspended the
constitution and dissolved the
National Assembly in October. Work began almost immediately on a new constitution. The finished product, the
Yushin Constitution, was a severely
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic votin ...
document that dramatically expanded the president's powers and allowed him to run for an unlimited number of six-year terms. For all intents and purposes, the document concentrated all governing power in Park's hands.
According to official figures, the new document was approved by 92.3% of voters, with a turnout of 91.9%.
[Nohlen et al, p427] The adoption of the constitution upon the announcement of the official referendum results ushered in the
Fourth Republic of South Korea.
Results
By province
References
{{South Korean elections
1972 referendums
1972 elections in South Korea
Constitutional referendums in South Korea