Chun Doo-hwan had become the country's de facto leader after leading a military coup in December 1979, and was elected president in his own right in August 1980.

Two months after taking office, he abolished all political parties, including Park Chung Hee's Democratic Republican Party, which had ruled the country since 1963, and with few viable constraints on its power since Park's self-coup of 1971.

Although the DJP won large majorities at legislative elections in 1981 and 1985 and the system was heavily rigged in its favor, it had far less power than the DRP.

The 1980 Constitution limited the president to a single seven-year term, with no possibility of reelection.

Chun announced his retirement in 1987, but resisted all calls to further open up the regime.