Constitutional Assembly elections were held in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 on 10 May 1948, the country's first election. It was held under the American military occupation

United States Army Military Government in Korea

The United States Army Military Government in Korea, also known as USAMGIK, was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula from September 8, 1945 to August 15, 1948...

, with supervision from the United Nations

UNTCOK

UNTCOK, the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea, was a body which was supposed to oversee free and fair elections in Korea after World War II. In Soviet-controlled North Korea, the body was not even recognized with the Soviets arguing that the commission would break earlier agreements...

. It resulted in a victory for the National Alliance for the Rapid Realisation of Korean Independence, which won 55 of the 200 seats, although 85 were held by independents. Voter turnout was 95.5%.

Background

The election was originally intended to be held throughout the Korean peninsula

Korean Peninsula

The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...

, but US and Soviet forces were unable to agree on the terms of such an election. It was therefore held only in the US-administered territory, whilst the first elections

North Korean parliamentary election, 1948

Parliamentary elections were held for the first Supreme People's Assembly in North Korea on 25 August 1948. 572 deputies were elected, of which 360 were reserved for representatives of South Korea...

 in North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 were held in August. However one hundred seats were left open in the South Korean Parliament for North Koreans to vote on when they were able. The voters elected members of parliament, who then voted on the constitution and elected the president. The overwhelming majority of Koreans opposed the election and the division of Korea

Division of Korea

The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...

 that would result. The elections were marred by terrorism resulting in 600 deaths between March and May.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats
NARRKI	1,755,543	26.1	55
Korea Democratic Party Korea Democratic Party The Korea Democratic Party was the leading opposition party in the first years of the First Republic of South Korea. It existed from 1945 to 1949, when it merged with other opposition parties. Prominent members included Yun Po-sun...	916,322	13.5	29
Taedang Youth Party	655,653	9.6	12
National Youth Party	151,043	2.2	6
Taehan Labour Federation	106,629	1.6	1
Farmers Federation	52,512	0.8	2
Other parties	401,554	5.9	10
Independents	2,745,483	40.3	85
Invalid/blank votes	270,707
Total	7,847,649	100	200
Source: Nohlen et al

Aftermath

The elections were followed by the establishment of the First Republic of South Korea

First Republic of South Korea

The First Republic of South Korea was South Korea's first independent government, ruling the country from 1948 to 1960. It succeeded USAMGIK, the United States military government, which ruled the area from 1945 to 1948. The First Republic was established on August 15, 1948, with Syngman Rhee as...

 under Syngman Rhee

Syngman Rhee

Syngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and he led South Korea through the...

, the country's first independent government since the fall of the Joseon Dynasty

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 in 1910.

As far as the recognition of the legitimacy of the elections for the creation of a nation-state, at least two historians say that

None of the UNTCOK

UNTCOK

UNTCOK, the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea, was a body which was supposed to oversee free and fair elections in Korea after World War II. In Soviet-controlled North Korea, the body was not even recognized with the Soviets arguing that the commission would break earlier agreements...

members thought of the elections as creating a national parliament, but after seven week's debate and continuing United States pressure, and only in the absence of the Syrian and Australian delegates, agreement was reached to declare the elections "a valid expression of the free will of the electorate in those parts of Korea which were accessible to the Commission."