On Monday, April 7th, officials from the South Korean government announced that the Cabinet will officially set June 3rd as the date for the presidential by-election at a meeting on Tuesday. It is expected to be announced by the acting president and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo. Last week, South Korean President Yin Seok-yue was impeached for declaring martial law, and according to the law, a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, a government official stated that although there is no legal obligation, the Cabinet still needs to make a decision at the meeting because if that day is chosen as the election day, it needs to be approved by the Cabinet as a national holiday.
Last week, South Korean President Yin Seok-yue was impeached for declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, and mobilizing the military to intervene in parliamentary operations, deemed a violation of duty by the South Korean Constitutional Court.
South Korean law stipulates that in the event of the death or impeachment of a president, a presidential election must be held within 60 days, with the election date announced 50 days before the voting day.
On April 4th, the Constitutional Court ruled for the impeachment of Yin Seok-yue. Therefore, acting President Han Deok-soo must choose a day between May 24 and June 3 as the presidential election day before April 14.
An official from the South Korean National Election Commission stated that the dates reported by the media are not final, and only after Han Deok-soo officially announces it will they have legal effect.
Yonhap News Agency pointed out that since this election is being held early due to the president’s impeachment, in order to fully protect the political rights of voters and candidates, the government plans to designate the last day within the legal scope as the election day. This also allows the government more time to prepare for the election.
In 2017, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was also impeached by the Constitutional Court, and the by-election was held on the 60th day after the impeachment ruling. It is expected that the schedule for the by-election after Yin Seok-yue’s impeachment will follow a similar pattern. This indicates that the South Korean government is aiming for stability in the electoral schedule while dealing with the current political crisis.
If the election date of June 3rd is passed by the Cabinet, presidential candidates must register by May 11 and officially enter the campaign period starting on May 12. Public officials wishing to run for office must resign by May 4 at the latest. In addition, the elected candidate will take office immediately after the election results are confirmed, with no transition team in place.