Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Snap presidential election tentatively set for June 3
The National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday / Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
DPK claims PPP should not field candidate to take responsibility
The next presidential election, triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been tentatively set for June 3.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Monday, acting President Han Duck-soo will preside over a regular Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and confirm the date.
Setting an election day is not subject to a Cabinet meeting approval, but the government decided to deal with it at the meeting considering the date should be designated as a temporary holiday.
Under Article 68 of the Constitution, if the presidency becomes vacant or the president is removed from office, a successor must be elected within 60 days. Since the Constitutional Court's ruling to oust Yoon was announced on April 4, the deadline for holding a snap election falls on June 3, a Tuesday.
The government appears to be aiming to set the latest possible date within the legally mandated timeframe for the election, considering the tight schedule for preparations for the unexpected political event.
In the previous case in 2017 when former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office following the court's impeachment ruling on March 10, the subsequent snap election was held on May 9, exactly 60 days later.
If the upcoming election date is confirmed as June 3, the official candidate registration period will begin on May 11, 24 days before the election, and the official campaign period will run from May 12 to June 2. Any public officials, including ministers and local government heads, intending to run in the election must resign from their post by May 4, 30 days prior to the election date.
Officials of the National Election Commission hold a meeting to discuss plans for the early presidential election at the commission's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap
The new president will begin their term immediately after the victory is confirmed, without a transition period or a transition team under the current law. In response, Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) proposed a bill to allow a president elected in a snap election to establish a transition committee even within 60 days of taking office, in order to ensure a smooth handover of state affairs.
Min explained that the purpose of the bill is to “provide time to prepare for addressing the many pressing issues and to promote continuity and stability in governance.”
In the meantime, the parties have started their election preparations, with the former ruling People Power Party (PPP) naming former interim leader Hwang Woo-yea as the chief of its primary committee.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the PPP, said that the upcoming election should be a reflection of public sentiment on the DPK and its leader, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, currently the most powerful presidential contender.
Speaking at an emergency party leadership meeting at the National Assembly, Kweon said that while Yoon has been held accountable by the court decision, "the DPK has taken no responsibility for the political turmoil it caused.”
He said the court, while acknowledging unconstitutionality of Yoon's martial law, criticized the DPK as well in its ruling for causing political deadlock by seeking a series of impeachments of ranking government officials.
In response, the DPK said the PPP should not field a candidate for the upcoming election to take responsibility for the political chaos caused by Yoon, a member of the PPP.
"A National Assembly Budget Office estimate shows the snap election will cost 494.9 billion won," DPK floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae said in a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly. "If it has any shame, it should not field a candidate this time."