Interior Ministry: "Cabinet Meetings Can Be Convened With at Least 11 Members Present"

Ongoing Controversy Over Cabinet Meeting Quorum
"Quorum Based on 'Members,' Not 'Incumbent Members'"

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has addressed the controversy over a lack of quorum at Cabinet meetings, stating, "A Cabinet meeting can be convened if at least 11 members of the entire body are present."

On May 2, the ministry explained in a press release, "Article 88 of the Constitution stipulates that the number of Cabinet members shall be at least 15 and no more than 30," and added, "According to the Government Organization Act, there are a total of 19 positions for Cabinet members, and the Cabinet consists of the President, the Prime Minister, and 19 Cabinet members, totaling 21 members."

Yonhap News

The regulations governing Cabinet meetings define the basis for a quorum as 'members' rather than 'incumbent members,' meaning that the quorum is 11, which is the majority of the 21 members.

In particular, citing a precedent from the Ministry of Government Legislation, the ministry clarified, "When determining the quorum, the standard is 'members,' not 'incumbent members,'" and explained, "'Members' refers to the statutory number of members, which is distinct from 'incumbent members,' meaning those who currently hold office and excludes those who have resigned, passed away, retired, been dismissed, or lost eligibility."

The ministry stated, "Accordingly, the members of the Cabinet shall be all Cabinet members included as members under the law (the Government Organization Act), and this does not change based on appointments or vacancies." The ministry added, "It should not be interpreted that at least 15 Cabinet members must be present to convene a Cabinet meeting; rather, a meeting can be convened if at least 11 members of the entire body are present."

As of this day, there are seven vacant positions among Cabinet members: the President, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Economy and Finance, National Defense, Interior and Safety, Employment and Labor, and Gender Equality and Family. Thus, there are 14 incumbent Cabinet members. In the past, there was a case where the number of incumbent Cabinet members was fewer than 15, specifically at the 7th Cabinet meeting of the Lee Myungbak administration on February 17, 2009, when there were 15 ministries and the Minister of the Interior and Safety position was vacant, so only 14 members participated. There were 87 instances, out of the total 249 Cabinet meetings held from 2021 to 2025, where 14 or fewer Cabinet members attended. According to the ministry, these meetings were convened and resolutions were passed with 14 or fewer members present.