The establishment of the Interim Legislative Assembly was announced by Archer L. Lerch of the United States Army Military Government on 1 July 1946.[1] The Assembly was to replace the Democratic Council set up in February,[2] and its purpose was to write draft laws,[3] It would have 90 members; 45 elected and 45 appointed by Military Governor John R. Hodge.[1]
Campaign
The Interim Legislative Assembly was unpopular with a majority of Koreans who opposed the planned four-power trusteeship to run the country for five years.[4] The conservative Korea Democratic Party (KDP) opposed its existence due to many of its leaders being excluded.[3] However, the party did participate in the elections, unlike the left-wing parties, which simply ignored it;[3] the Communists, Syngman Rhee and Kim Gu all boycotted the elections.[5]
Several KDP leaders were elected in Seoul, but Kim Kyu-sik claimed that there had been electoral fraud in Seoul and Gangwon. As a result, Hodge annulled the results and the elections were re-run in the two areas.[5]