Korean Presidential Election set for June 3 After Court Upholds Yoon’s Impeachment

Korea’s snap presidential election, triggered by the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been scheduled for June 3, a Tuesday, government officials confirmed Monday.

A government official told Yonhap News Agency that the decision will be formally approved and announced during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

“While there is no strict legal requirement to finalize the election date through a Cabinet vote, it is customary to do so, especially when the election day may also be designated as a temporary public holiday,” the official said.

According to the Constitution and the Public Official Election Act, a presidential election must be held within 60 days of the Constitutional Court’s confirmation of a presidential dismissal. The election date must also be announced at least 50 days in advance.

Yoon was officially removed from office on Friday, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo must designate an election date between May 24 and June 3 by April 14.

While regular presidential elections are typically held on a Wednesday, there is no such requirement for snap elections triggered by a vacancy. The government chose the latest legally permissible date — June 3 — to provide sufficient time for both administrative preparation and voter participation.

A similar precedent was set in 2017 when former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office on March 10. That year’s snap election was held exactly 60 days later, on May 9.

Under the current schedule, official candidate registration will begin on May 11, 24 days before the election. The official campaign period will run from May 12 to June 2. Public officials intending to run must resign by May 4, 30 days ahead of the vote.

The president-elect will assume office immediately upon confirmation of the election results, without a transition committee.

Following Yoon’s dismissal on Friday, the National Election Commission opened registration for preliminary candidates for what will be the 21st presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education announced it will reschedule the June mock exam for the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test, which had been set for the same day.

BY LIM JEONG-WON,PAIK JI-HWAN [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]