The Hankyoreh Democratic Party (HDP; Korean: 한겨레민주당; Hanja: 한겨레民主黨; RR: Hangyeoreminjudang; MR: Han'gyŏreminjudang; lit. One Nation Democratic Party) was a political party of South Korea from 1988 to 1991.
History
The party was formed in 1988 as the alternative for 2 main oppositions ― Reunification Democratic Party and Peace Democratic Party. The original name was National Democratic Party (민족민주당), but changed as "sounds like an extremist".[1] Most of members were the crucial figure of the League of National Democratic Youth and Students in 1970s.
The formation took on 17 February 1988,[2] and officially on 29 March.[3] Ye Chun-ho was elected as the Permanent President.[4]
The party participated in 1988 election.[5] Nevertheless, all candidates from party leadership i.e. Ye Chun-ho, Cho Soon-hyung, Goh Young-gu, Yoo In-tae, and so on were lost. Park Hyung-oh, who ran for Shinan, was the sole elected representative due to the political ban of Han Hwa-gap (Peace Democratic Party aka PDP).[6] Park subsequently joined PDP due to the pre-agreement, made the party as an extra-parliamentary.[7]
After a serious defeat in the general election, the majority of its members left the party and formed the Popular Party in 1989,[8] while some other members joined the Democratic Party (known as Little Democrats).[9] The party soon couldn't meet up with the minimal requirements as a political party, and was deregistered on 13 March 1991.[10]
