THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN PARTY LOOKS LIKELY TO FORM SOUTH KOREA'S NEXT GOVERNMENT.EARLY RETURNS IN YESTERDAY'S (TUESDAY) GENERAL ELECTION SHOW AN OVERWHELMING LEAD FOR THE PARTY, LED BY RETIRED GENERAL CHUNG HEE PARK, THE JUNTA CHIEF WHO WON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NARROWLY LAST MONTH.)
WITH COUNTING COMPLETE IN 62 OUT OF 131 CONSTITUENCIES, 47 REPUBLICANS, 10 CIVIL RULE PARTY MEMBERS, FOUR DEMOCRATS, AND ONE MINOR CANDIDATE HAD BEEN ELECTED.FINAL RESULTS ARE EXPECTED TOMORROW (THURSDAY).

THE REPUBLICANS CHIEF OPPONENTS, THE CIVIL RULE PARTY, IS HEADED BY FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO GENERAL PARK BY ONLY 156,000 VOTES.HE CAMPAIGNED VIGOROUSLY DURING THE ELECTION FOR MORE OPPOSITION DEPUTIES TO RESTRAIN "THE AUTOCRATIC RULE" OF GENERAL PARK.

BOTH PARTIES FACED A POWERFUL CHALLENGE FROM THE DEMOCRATS, COMPRISING SUPPORTERS OF FORMER PREMIER DR.JOHN CHANG, WHOSE ELECTED GOVERNMENT WAS TOPPLED BY GENERAL PARK IN AN ARMY COUP IN MAY, 1961.

OVER 13 MILLION SOUTH KOREANS VOTED YESTERDAY TO ELECT A ONE-CHAMBER PARLIAMENT AFTER NEARLY THREE YEARS OF MILITARY RULE.UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION, THE GOVERNMENT'S EXECUTIVE BRANCH WILL HOLD THE REAL POWER, THOUGH IT'S EXPECTED THE 175-SEAT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MAY DEVELOP A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE IN TIME.