Grand National Party

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{{Infobox Political Party | colorcode=#0000ff | party_name=Grand National Party | party_logo=Image:Img bottom logo.gif | leader=Park Geunhye | foundation=1963 | headquarters= | ideology=Conservatism | international=International Democrat Union | website=www.hannara.or.kr }} Template:Koreanname Template:Politics of South Korea The Grand National Party is a conservative, right-wing political party in South Korea. It is led by Chairperson Park Geunhye, the daughter of former president Park Chung Hee. The party is considered to bear the legacy of traditional ruling elite of South Korea including military regimes, most coming from the Gyeongsang region. Its Korean name, Hannara may be translated either "Grand National Party" or "One Country Party," because of the double meaning of the word Han as "great" or "one."

It was formed in 1963 as the Democratic Republican Party and was the political vehicle for General Park. Although the electoral system was heavily rigged in its favor and oppostion parties faced varying degrees of official harassment, Park barely squeezed to election in 1963, 1967 and 1971. Just after Park won a third term, he declared a state of emergency. Later in 1971, he issued the Yusin constitution, which made him a virtual dictator. From then on, the Democratic Republicans ruled South Korea as a virtual one-party state. After Park's assassination, Chun Doo-hwan took over the party and renamed it the Democratic Justice Party in 1980. Even though a less authoritarian constitution was enacted that year, the political system was still heavily rigged in favor of the DJP. The situation changed in 1987, when DJP presidential candidate Roh Tae Woo promised that year's election would be free and democratic. In 1991, the DJP merged with Kim Young Sam's party and another party to form the Democratic Liberal Party. It was renamed the New Korea Party in 1994 and then the Grand National Party in 1998.

Following the 2000 parliamentary elections it was the single largest political party, with 54% of the vote and 147 seats out of 271. However, its former leader Lee Hoi-chang lost twice in the presidential election (in 1997 and 2002) and admitted having used illegal donations to finance his campaign, causing nationwide scandal and loss of support.

The party sustained defeat in the parliamentary election in 2004, gaining only 121 seats out of 299. It was the first time in its history that the party or its predecessors had not won the most seats. Yet it managed to retain the major opposition thanks to the overwhelming support from its stronghold, the Gyeongsang region. It also gained back six seats in by-elections, bringing it to 127 seats as of October 28, 2005.

The party's conservative, pro-American stand often makes it the target of hyperbolic criticism by North Korea's state-controlled media.

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