Official Election Campaign to Begin on May 12
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering a national address on the 4th at the Government Seoul Office following the Constitutional Court's ruling to dismiss President Yoon Seok-yeol. [Photo by Prime Minister's Office]
The date for the 21st presidential election, held due to the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, has been confirmed as June 3, marking the start of a 57-day presidential race schedule.
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice on the 8th. He also nominated Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Legislation Office, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, as successors to Moon Hyung-bae, Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, and Lee Mi-sun, Constitutional Court Justice, whose terms end on the 18th. Ma Yong-joo was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.
Acting President Han held a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Seoul on the same day to deliberate and resolve key issues based on these matters. Han said, "The government, in consultation with the National Election Commission and related agencies, intends to designate June 3 as the date of the 21st presidential election of the Republic of Korea, considering the smooth execution of legally mandated election affairs and the preparation periods of each political party," adding, "To ensure that citizens can exercise their precious voting rights smoothly, the election day will be designated as a temporary public holiday." According to Article 68, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution and Article 35 of the Public Official Election Act, when the presidency becomes vacant, a successor must be elected within 60 days from the date of vacancy.
Acting President Han: "Doing Our Best for a Fair Election"
Acting President Han stated, "Elections are the foundation of a democratic society and the most important system representing the will of the people," and urged, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and related ministries should cooperate closely with the National Election Commission to ensure an election that is fairer and more transparent than ever before, gaining the trust of the people, and make thorough preparations."
According to the Constitution and the Public Official Election Act, a presidential election must be held within 60 days after the president's removal, and the election date must be announced 50 days prior. Following former President Yoon's removal by the Constitutional Court's decision on the 4th, Acting President Han must designate one day between May 24 and June 3 as the presidential election date by the 14th. While the presidential election date under normal circumstances is set on a Wednesday, there is no separate regulation on the day of the week for an early election due to presidential vacancy.
Acting President Han's decision to set June 3, the 60th day from former President Yoon's removal, as the election day is interpreted as using the full period granted by the Constitution to guarantee the voting rights of each presidential candidate and voter, as well as to secure the government's election preparation period. Previously, when former President Park Geun-hye was removed on March 10, 2017, then Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn designated May 9, the 60th day after removal, as the election day.
Public officials intending to run for election must resign from their positions by May 4, 30 days before the election day. Once Acting President Han confirms the election schedule, official election campaigning will begin on May 12. Presidential candidates must register on May 10 and 11. Official campaigning will proceed for 22 days from May 12 to June 2.
Early voting for this snap presidential election will take place over two days, May 29 and 30, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The main voting will be held on June 3 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The winner of the 21st presidential election will begin their term immediately from June 4, the day after the election confirmation, and no presidential transition committee will be formed.
Additionally, Acting President Han appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice on the same day.
Han released a statement titled "A Message to the People" in the morning, expressing, "With Justice Ma and the two others joining, I hope the Constitutional Court will continue to fulfill its fundamental mission as the bastion of constitutional order without interruption, as it has done so far."
Han said, "After becoming Acting President in December last year, I stated that my final duty was to lead the nation through this crisis in a stable and balanced manner," adding, "The appointment of Constitutional Court Justices was one of the issues I pondered most deeply." He continued, "Regarding the appointment of Constitutional Court Justices, which has been a source of much conflict, I first appointed Ma Yong-joo, who completed the Supreme Court Chief Justice's recommendation and National Assembly consent process, as a Supreme Court Justice, and appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice in accordance with the Constitutional Court Act and Constitutional Court rulings."
Regarding the nominations of Lee Wan-gyu, Director of the Legislation Office, and Ham Sang-hoon, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, as Constitutional Court Justices, Han evaluated, "They have extensive experience in key positions in the prosecution and judiciary and are highly respected inside and outside the legal community for their impartial and fair judgments." Han added, "The decisions I made today are the result of listening to and carefully considering the opinions of numerous people, including ruling and opposition parties, legal professionals, journalists, and senior members of society."
However, with the snap presidential election upcoming, political opinions diverged over the Acting President's nomination of successors for the presidential quota Constitutional Court Justices. Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as a "wrong decision," while praising the nomination of the presidential quota Constitutional Court Justice candidate.
On the other hand, Kim Yong-min, Deputy Floor Policy Chief of the Democratic Party, criticized, saying, "Appointing Constitutional Court Justices is the president's authority and cannot be delegated," and added, "The Acting President's nomination itself is unconstitutional."
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