Yu Chi-song

Yu Chi-song (; 7 October 1924 – 2 June 2006) was a South Korean politician who served in the National Assembly and was the Democratic Korea Party candidate for President in the 1981 election.

Early life Yu was born in Pyeongtaek, Korea, Empire of Japan, on 7 October 1924. He worked as the secretary to National Assembly Speaker Sin Ik-hui in 1948 and graduated from Seoul National University in 1952, earning a Bachelor of Economics.

Career Yu participated in the founding of the Democratic Party of Korea in 1955 and held several positions within the party. Yu ran for political office during the 1963 legislative election, winning a seat in the National Assembly for the Civil Rule Party. Yu sought re-election in 1967, this time running on the New Democratic Party ticket, but lost his seat. He ran for his old seat again in the 1971 election, but lost again. Yu returned yet again for his National Assembly seat in the 1973 election on the New Democratic ticket, this time succeeding in his effort. The following year, Yu became the party's Secretary-General and he went on to win re-election in 1978.

In 1981, Yu was among the founders of the Democratic Korea Party and was elected Party President. Yu thus became the party's nominee for president during the 1981 presidential election. Yu finished second behind incumbent President Chun Doo-hwan, receiving 404 electoral votes (7.67%). Despite his loss, Yu's party managed to become the 2nd largest party in the National Assembly following the 1981 legislative election. Yu served as the main opposition party leader until the newly founded New Korean Democratic Party outperformed Yu's party in the 1985 legislative election, relegating the Democratic Korea Party to a minor party. The party was eventually dissolved following the 1988 legislative election, in which every single Democratic Korea Party candidate was defeated and the party only massed 0.2% of the total vote.

Later life Following the dissolvement of his party, Yu retired from politics. He went on to briefly serve as the Chairman of the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Korea from 2001 to 2003.

His wife preceded him in death in May 2006. This event had a profound impact on Yu, who's health worsened as a result. Yu died on 2 June 2006 at Seoul National University Hospital, aged 81, being survived by his two daughters and his son Yoo Il-ho (who would serve as Acting Prime Minister of South Korea in 2017). He was buried at park cemetery in Cheonan, South Korea.