The South Korean government is expected to formally announce Tuesday that the next presidential election will be held on June 3 to fill the presidency left vacant by last week’s Constitutional Court ouster of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol.
A tentative consensus has been reached on the date, awaiting formal approval at a Cabinet meeting, which is regularly held on Tuesdays, according to government officials.
Han's office said Monday, "The date for the presidential election has not been determined yet and will be finalized and announced following deliberation at the Cabinet meeting," in response to a local media report that the election will be held June 3.
Under the Constitution, a new president must be elected within 60 days after the post of the presidency becomes vacant. The Public Official Election Act also stipulates that the date must be declared no later than 50 days before the election.
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is therefore required to set an election date of between May 24 and June 3, following the Constitutional Court’s April 4 ruling that removed Yoon from office. The date for the election must be officially announced by April 14.
If the election is officially set for June 3, candidates would be required to officially register on May 10 or May 11 — 24 days before the vote. The official campaign season would then be from May 12 to June 2, a day before the election.
Public officials seeking to run must resign from their current offices by May 4, 30 days before the vote, under election law.
Early voting will take place over two days, on May 29 and 30.
The president-elect in the snap election will take office immediately upon confirmation of the results, without the formation of a transition team — unlike in regular presidential elections, which provide a two-month transition period for the president-elect.
This is not the first time that the South Korean government has made the decision to conduct the presidential election on the latest date allowable under the law.
Choosing the final day of the 60-day window is intended to protect the political rights of both voters and candidates, given the sudden nature of the election. The government also requires as much time as possible to ensure thorough preparation for the vote.
In 2017, the same timeline was observed when former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office by a Constitutional Court ruling. In 2017, the surprise election was conducted on May 9, precisely 60 days following the ruling.
Han and Rho Tae-ak, chairperson of the National Election Commission, discussed ways to hold a snap presidential election in a fair and transparent manner during a phone call on Friday, after the Constitutional Court’s ruling earlier in the day, according to Han’s office.
The NEC then began registering preliminary candidates for the 21st presidential election on April 4, the day Yoon's removal was confirmed.
The NEC said Monday it held a committee meeting to discuss key measures for ensuring the fair and transparent conduct of the 21st presidential election.
As a follow-up, the NEC will convene a nationwide election preparation meeting on Tuesday, joined by representatives from election commissions in all 17 metropolitan cities and provinces. The session will focus on detailed plans to ensure swift preparation for the snap election and the smooth and secure conduct of voting and ballot counting.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
